A treasure found accidentally
by Bax Fis
Summary: A crashed spaceship and toad attacks draw Bucky and the crew to a squandered world, but there's a treasure hidden in the decay.
1. Chapter 1

**A treasure found** **accidentally**

 _A crashed spaceship and toad attacks draw Bucky and the crew to a squandered world, but there's a treasure hidden in the decay._

 _Lacking for inspiration, I have built this story around a couple of already written scenes, and I think it actually makes for a nice continuity. I'm trying a different writing style, getting into the characters' heads a bit more. I think I like this better than a purely visual description. Working on making this one cannonesk, but expanding on the universe and backstories. Feedback always welcome._

* * *

Prequel 

Tia eased back on the port thrusters. After a moment, the massive ship beside her tiny tug vessel responded, angling more gently into the planet's atmosphere and slowing its decent. There was a crackle from the panel communicator in front of her. "Easy now, I want to her down in one piece." Ralph's static-clouded voice said unnecessarily. He always gave instructions after you'd already done something. She peered through her ship's main view screen; a dozen other tug craft surrounded the huge cargo vessel they were towing, Ralph's would be the shiny one near the front. Everyone knew he was trying for a promotion to on-world management.

Her ship abruptly shuddered violently. She grabbed the docking controls and loosened the energy beam that bound her to the cargo vessel as it bucked beside her. She scowled as she retightened the bond in concert with the other tugs to steady the towed craft. If Ralph was doing his job as lead tug he should be scanning for pockets of instability like that. Losing control of the tow now, halfway through decent, could mean a crash. A ship this size would do a lot of damage on the surface. All large tows were brought in over unpopulated areas due to the ever present risk of an accident, but she didn't intend to have a crash on her record because _someone_ wasn't paying attention.

She flicked her observation pane to show the planet below. As usual, it was thick with murky clouds, but there were still clear snatches of the ground to be seen. From here, the surface of Rodere II looked simply mottled browns that might have been rocks or dunes, the distance concealing the vast tracts of rubbish. She'd guided more than a hundred ships down to that surface. None of them ever left again, at least not whole. She turned the observation pane to the vessel in tow. It was a large one, and old, retired from service and now ready for scrapping. Paint in a dozen colors flacked off a battered and scrapped hull that no longer kept out the coldness of space.

She frowned. Part of the hull glowed red-orange around dark new holes punched in the ship's skin and fuselage. Where had those come from? Their decent shouldn't have caused that damage. If there was stray atmospheric debris around they were all in trouble.

As she hurriedly reached for the communicator, the vessel kicked at its bounds again, slamming her back into the seat then forwards. Tia grabbed for the docking controls, it was then that she saw the other ships. She watched in astonishment as the small green fighters arched around in a rough formation then opened fire haphazardly.

* * *

Chapter 1

The air was stale but it was an improvement on the fetid stuff she had been forced to breath on the surface. After the oppressive heat, the relative cool was a relief as well. Most importantly, there were no signs of pursuit, although what sort of a refuge she'd found remained to be determined.

In front of her, a stairway sloped downwards into gloom. As her eyes adjusted to the low light, she could see heavy piles of dusty sand heaped against the rough plastered walls. The dust was one thing you never seemed to escape on Rodere II. The place should be nicknamed Dust rather than Sludge.

Jenny started down the stone stairs, a slender shadow in silver armor moving stealthily. In the darkness, her usually bright green eyes were almost black as they drunk in the meager light, and her thick hair looked more pale grey than pink.

She could feel the warm sting where her lip had split and a sharp ache in one arm where it had been twisted, but they were minor concerns. When she had tried her communicator all she had heard was the hiss of static, and her locator didn't seem to be registering. She was cut off and lost. She needed to find where she was, find a way out, and find the rest of the crew. And going back was not an option.

The stairs soon stopped, ending in a large arched doorway that lead into a wide underground room bathed in darkness. She stepped through the doorway and glanced around to where the light penetrated. Plaster cracked away from the walls and there was more dust heaped among furniture that might have once been good. The place must have been forgotten long ago. She could see brassy metal gleaming dully from several chairs that were arranged around a wide table, and there was a headless statue against one wall that had more glinting inlay. The inhabitants of this planet wouldn't have left such meager treasures in situ had they known about them. The heavily polluted planet Sludge functioned now mostly through what resources it could glean from its own and others' waste. That was how it _mostly_ functioned. The impoverished government was only too happy to play host to a secret base if it meant remuneration; remuneration and, at times, assistance. So now she and the crew were here, assisting.

The white cat continued into the room. The only light came filtering uncertainly down from the top of the stairs behind her, and even her sensitive eyes were having trouble seeing much in the deeper parts of the space. She paused on the threshold of light and dark.

Earlier, when she'd walked away from the cluttered office that had served them as a briefing room, she'd heard the Sludge bureaucrat's parting slur. ' _Witch!_ ' He'd hissed it under his breath, spitting out the word in a muttered curse that made it an insult. It was nothing she hadn't heard before, and she had long ago learned to be numb such verbal jabs. Bucky, walking in step close beside her, heard it too. He heard everything. She saw the green hare pause and his lean back stiffen with indignation under the neat uniform. She quickly reached over, brushing her hand against his arm in a gesture of reassurance and restraint. It was a small signal but he understood it. A moment later and they continued on without a word spoken, although Bucky was scowling hard. She was fighting back a smile at his righteous outrage on her behalf.

Jenny pulled her thoughts back to the present. She supposed they had some reason to call her a witch, there were plenty of things she could do that most others could not. She reached out with her mind and focused, the large ruby gems set in her armor blazed with a pale yellow light in response. The room around her sprung into view in the faintly pulsing glow.

It was a surprisingly pleasant space, or would have been before it was given over to decay. Beyond the chairs and table she had already glimpsed, a sunken crescent shaped pit held seating and beyond that there was what looked like a counter backed by a dark doorway. And there were more pale stone statues, all of them badly damaged, like they had been deliberately smashed to remove features. Perhaps this had been a tavern or a meeting place or somewhere to worship. She knew little about this history of the area. The locals seemed to know little more. Their briefing from the Rodere II representatives had been, well, brief.

The first Rodere II spokesperson had looked pompously official as he sat arranged among the disorderly jumble of the office. He shot her the occasional sour, unfriendly glare. His eyes spat ' _witch_ ' before his mouth did. Beside him, another bureaucrat lounged nonchalantly. His glances were a little too friendly. She ignored them both.

The rats that now ran most of Sludge were relative newcomers to the planet. They had been space-wandering pirates before settling here a generation or so ago, and they still retained something of the look of pirates, although they lacked the flamboyant style of the Canards. The two in the office wore what seemed to be an odd assortment of random material and adornments. They suited the space, which also seemed to Jenny to be full of random junk. She turned to looked past some of the dusty ornaments and out of the large, dirty window.

The office was set high in a multistory building. The widow beside them overlooked a vast expanse of scrap that seemed to end only at the murky horizon. Here and there, the hulking skeletons of spaceship hulls and engines dwarfed the more mundane refuse. The pilot part of her found them mildly distressing. It was an organized chaos, with open dirt roads and snaking trackways through the rusty piles. Vehicles laden with choice scrap meandered along the roads whiles others plucked excitedly at the heaps with metal arms. From a distance, thorough filtered air, it looked almost peaceful.

She turned her attention back to the pompous bureaucrat as he spoke again. He was thick-set with quick, suspicious eyes and greying fur.

"It was toads." He said stiffly. "They came out of nowhere and attacked a crew towing a wreck in from orbit for salvage."

"What sort of wreck?" That was Bucky. Her captain was shorter than either of the rats, but wiry and surprisingly strong, with a commanding presence. He sat beside her, both of them facing the Sludge officials over the large, roughly made desk. Bucky had what she thought of as his 'drill sergeant' manner in place, firm and formal, the one he used for most officials.

The bureaucrat looked down to some papers on his desk. "The Suetonius. Retired cargo freighter Class IV. Not ever space-worthy." He looked back up at Bucky with a frown, as if it were his fault. "Toads made her break up in the atmosphere and now I have pieces scattered all over the area. It'll cost me half the profits of salvage to find and transport the usable bits." He seemed much more concerned with the dent in his profits than the crew that had been attacked, she thought.

"And you have no idea why they attacked?" Bucky asked, still formal.

"Why do toads do anything?" That was the 'friendly' one. He was younger than the first official; skinny and sharp featured. He sounded annoyingly casual and it was a stupid question, or rather a way to draw attention to himself. Most toads followed whatever orders their leaders gave them with idiot fanaticism, but the leaders would have plans and reasons.

"Because they're told to." She answered him briefly.

The comment earned her a yellow-toothed smile that focused on her chest. One of the rat's long incisors gleamed gold.

"There's nothing special about the ship that we can see." The first spokesperson continued grumpily, jabbing a finger against the papers before him in emphasis. "They never bothered us before that base of yours went in. Toads are the UAC's problem. That was the deal."

Jenny doubted the attack was anything to do with the secret SPACE base on Sludge. If the toads had wind of that they wouldn't be bothering with derelict space craft. But the official was right, toads were their problem.

She leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the papers on the desk. "May we have access to the records?" She asked. "Our android might be able to find something."

The grumpy one nodded with a grudging huff, but it was 'friendly' who spoke. "I will personally make sure you have access to _anything_ you want." He said in the general direction of her breasts. _Sisters give me strength_. She noticed his boots had laces and contemplated tying them together with a quick spell.

Bucky was speaking again. "What damage was done on the surface when the ship crashed? Where did she hit? Did you lose any personnel?"

The second official waved a hand dismissively. "We're careful. All big ships like that are brought in over wasteland. It will have made a hell of a dent but it was nowhere near anything important. There's only old rubbish out there, no settlements."

"And your communication said something about ongoing issues?" Bucky asked with a frown.

"Yes." The first bureaucrat nodded sharply again. "There have been follow up attacks on-world." She'd guessed the next part before he spoke it. "They're targeting crews trying to find pieces of the Suetonius."

And that had been all. They'd been handed information on attack locations and times, as well as the vessel's historic details, and then sent on their way.

Outside, the air tasted thick and smoky. The muggy heat made her uncomfortable and her eyes stung slightly. She'd flicked over the locations of the toad attacks as they made their way from the briefing, walking past ragged looking vendors selling random junk and unappetizing food of varying shades of brown as they cut through one of the busy roadside markets that clustered around the large scrap processing plant they'd come from.

"The toads have a ground base somewhere close by in the south." She concluded after a brief study of the records. The original raid had been made with small fighters that couldn't travel far in open space, and subsequent attacks had used fuel hungry ground based speeders that had all approached from the south. She doubted it was a faint. Toads were rarely clever with their tactics.

Bucky didn't look up. He was concentrating on some of the other records. "The Suetonius has been in operation for a long time. Her logs go back before the beginning to the Toad Wars. There may be something in there, but we'll need Blinky to scan them effectively." He shuffled another data-pad to the top of the pile in his gloved hands. "We don't have time to wait for that though. Deadeye and me will shadow the next crew out looking for bits of the ship. There's one leaving in seventeen minutes. They're after the section with the cockpit. That'll have the navigation array, the CPU, any general records. If there's something in the ship's databanks, it'll probably be there. You take Bruiser and the Croaker and see if you can locate the toad base."

Jenny frowned. Bruiser was strong and loyal, but difficult to control, especially around toads. On a stealth mission she'd move more effectively alone. She glanced up to Bucky's face, but the protest died on her lips when she saw him looking back with a firm expression. "That's an order, First Mate. I'm not having anyone off by themselves if it can be helped. Leave him with the Croaker if you need to move quietly, but take him."

"Aye-aye, Captain." She'd replied with slightly put-on meekness. Sometimes she wondered who read whose mind.

The memory made her smile, straining the tear in her lip. The sharp pain brought her back to the present.

Jenny stepped further into the dark underground room, shimmering in the light of her own gems. The scale was large, made for beings larger than the rats; larger than Aldebaran's too. Her curiosity was plucked when she saw the walls must have held murals that were now only visible in fragments – she thought she could see trees and clouds, the beams of bright suns and a pale moon, and swirls of rushing wind, in the undulating patterns – but she didn't have time for causal exploration. She headed for the dark doorway at the far end of the room, lifting one hand above her head to trail the broad chest of the headless statue as she passed it. She regretted the gesture when her black gloved fingers came back coated thickly in the gritty, ubiquitous dust. _Damn Sludge_. She briefly shook her fingers in a fruitless attempt to get them clean then gave up and stepped lightly into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

_Bit of a writing hiatus due to being generally busy. Trying to get back into this story now._

 _Also, forgot the statement about most of these not being my characters, but given the website I think you probably knew that. Anyway: all characters copyright to their respective owners. Also also, there's going to be some violence, please don't read if such content if likely to disturbed you._

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

The ugly hunch of the scrap processing plant remained visible for a long time. It towered above the other buildings of the settlement that clustered around the massive structure's dirty flanks, its looming presence the reason for their existence. The settlement was hovel was built against hovel; all constructed from thin sheets of metal and rough blocks of grey-brown cement, and all untidily patched with whatever bits of scrap the occupants seem to have found. Leaving the squalor behind had been a relief. Looking back now, the plant seemed to stand alone against the murky clouds. Occasionally, a spike of flame would lick the sky from one of its squat towers, flashing brightly in many different colors. When he'd asked, he'd been told it was normal and that the plant periodically burned off excess gas.

It was a bleak, hot day, with a sky nearly as brown as the distant hills and mountains. A wind heavy with fine dust particles turned the air around them into a brown hazy. This far from the main settlement the road was little more than a wide path, dusty and winding. They'd started out on one of the main thoroughfares, busy with traffic, but the further they travelled away from the settlement, the quieter the road became until they were the only vehicles. The rubbish hadn't got any less, though. They were still hemmed in by messy piles that never seemed to end. The whole planet was a retched tip, Deadeye thought. Why anyone would choose to live here was beyond him.

The black duck leaned forward in the uncomfortable chair that seemed to be more exposed springs than seat, and tugged his red cap more securely into place against the rushing wind of their progress. He didn't try to talk to the rat beside him. There was no love lost between his pirate clan the Canards and the rats of Sludge. He'd made excuses to avoid the earlier briefing; he'd only be tempted to cause trouble if the rats acted up, and judging by the look on his captain's face when he returned to their ship, the scurvy rodents had indeed done something of the sort.

Deadeye had made what protest he could about accepting a mission to this contaminated hole of a planet, but it had done no good. Bucky had said they were obliged to help and that it was important for inter-species relationships or some such other dutiful political rambling that he had stopped listening to once he realized the lad had made up his mind and that the mission was inevitable. The captain might have high minded ideas about the rats, but Deadeye had less illusions. He knew there were plenty of ongoing links between these rats and their own outlaw pirate kin, despite the claims of the on-word inhabitants. And the truce between the Canards and the other pirates was uneasy at best.

The rat who sat next to him was a skinny little thing; an albino, with yellow stained white fur. The look she had given him with her pale red eyes from behind orange-tinted goggles had suggested she felt the same way about him as he did about her. She sported the one gold capped-tooth that marked her as part of the Cutters, a rat pirate clan with a nasty reputation.

Deadeye was riding with Bucky, in the first of a small group of the rats' open-topped transporters. Each bulky vehicle seemed to have been assembled from random parts, with no two the same. The captain was standing in the bow, speaking seriously to another rat, this one a slick brown male with no visible clan markings. Deadeye sat just behind, with several other rats around him. The rodents had learned from the last toad attacks and had now come out in force.

The captain had ordered him to keep lookout, so he scanned the tall trash piles around them with his good eye, blinking through the dust. This place was made for ambushes, he thought grumpily. He'd decided to extend the captain's orders to keeping his eye on the rats as well. The lass seated beside him had her own orders to watch them, he'd concluded. She gave every sign of not wanting to be near him, but still sat sullenly close by, although her eyes were most often turned to his captain.

Partly from habit honed by years of conflict, partly to gauge the reaction of his current companions, he pulled out one of the blasters strapped to his side and started to check over and clean it. After a moment, the rat beside him took out a sheathed energy whip and began her own casual weapon maintenance. _Aye lass, I understand yea message_ , he thought.

He holstered the blaster again when he saw the captain heading back towards him, the hare swaying carefully with the movement of the craft to keep his balance. His neat red and gold military uniform made him look out of place among the scrappily dressed rats and the brown on brown landscape. Bucky was frowning seriously, and spoke quickly when he reached Deadeye. "Has Blinky reported in with anything yet?"

Deadeye shook his head. "Nothing yet, Cap'in," he replied. "Checked with 'im five minutes ago. 'e says he'll contact us if ter be anything." They'd left the small android back at their own parked ship, the Righteous Indignation, scanning records supplied by the rats to try and find out what the toads might be after in the old starship that the amphibians had crashed.

The lad gave him a quick nod of recognition then looked around. Deadeye could see the white rat watching the hare from the corner of her eye as she continued to pretend to clean her weapon. The transports now ran beside a wide cannel that held water with a slick, oily surface. Debris littered the concrete channel and large drains gaped into it like open mouths. Bucky spoke while gazing at the unappealing view, one hand resting on the back of a seat to steady himself. "The other salvage crews were attacked before getting this far," he said, sounding uneasy.

The albino rat abruptly answered. "That was a further to the south. We were tracking the main part of the wreck then, before we found where this section landed." Her voice was high and piping. She kept working on the whip as she spoke; only looking up to Bucky when she concluded the statement. The captain had turned to her to listen. Deadeye thought he looked more tense. He nodded at the rat. "Thank you, . . . ?" She put away her weapon and replied curtly. "Tia." Bucky gave her another vague nod then frowned out to the view again. The rat kept speaking. "The Suetonius was a general freighter. The rest of it's really just a big metal box with engines. There's plenty to scrap there, but nothing of specific value. This is the only section that could hold anything of interest to the toads." Bucky didn't turn to reply, still watching the view. "How far to that other section of the crash from here?" Tia shrugged. "We didn't actually find the exact location before the toads turned up the last time, but it's probably not that far. A few clicks, I'd say."

"Ain't the 'thers out that way, Cap'in?" Deadeye asked. The rest of their crew was scouting where the toads seemed to be coming from in the south.

"Correct," Bucky said briefly, glancing down to his belt. The captain was already reaching to unclip the communicator from his hip when it hummed to life with an incoming message. Deadeye watched as Bucky answered quickly. Bruiser's slow, methodical voice rumbled out. "Captain? I be reportin' in. We found der wreck of dat ship. First Mate's gone off to 'ave a look. She tinks dere might be toadies dere. I gott'a stay with der Croaker 'cos I makes too much noise and stuff."

Deadeye had learned to read his captain well over the years. He saw Bucky's fist tighten around the communicator and his frown deepen. "Hold on Bruiser, I'm going to see if I can get through to Jenny," he said levelly then flicked the communicator to another channel. After several moments trying unsuccessfully to raise the Aldebaran, he turned the communicator back to Bruiser and gave him brief orders hold position, transmit their location and keep trying to contact Jenny. "I tink she turned off der com 'cos of der noise, Captain." He heard the baboon say ponderously before Bucky severed the connection.

When Bucky gave a quick inclination of his head then stepped away, Deadeye pushed up from his seat and joined his captain close to the open side of the transport where they could talk with relative privacy; although he saw Tia's eyes follow them.

"Jenny's trying to find the toads without back-up," Bucky said with a frown.

The cat's behavior didn't surprise Deadeye as much as it seemed to the captain. It was hardly the first time she'd taken it into her pretty but sometimes arrogant head to fly solo. "Ah Cap'in, she likes ta go off on 'er own sometimes," he said. He didn't add that she shared that tendency with her captain. Bucky still frowned with obvious worry, so he continued. "Ya know the witch can take care o'er self well enough." To Deadeye's surprise, Bucky abruptly scowled at him. They were suddenly interrupted, this time by the shrill tone of Deadeye's communicator. He yanked the unit from his belt. It had to be Blinky. A brief moment later and he heard the android's babbling voice. "Most excellent gunner, this humble android has run several algorithms to search records of good ship Suetonius and has located most likely information of interest to toads." There was an expectant pause as the communicator remained silent. Finally, Deadeye gave some words of encouragement. "Aye lad, and what be that info ye found? The Cap'in and me be here and we'd like ta know."

"Esteemed Captain! This humble android begs pardon for not addressing you first, but he was unaware of your presence," Blinky began with an excited jabber. It took a few words from Bucky to reassure him enough to continue, but they eventually got to critical information. "Good ship Suetonius was previously freighter that accessed Genus. Therefore, she will have codes to Genus defense system," Blinky said.

Bucky looked puzzled. "Blinky, Genus is a trading and commercial center, not to mention having the UAC government. A lot of ships access the planet. That's why the codes are regularly changed and old ships' records wiped to be sure."

"Suetonius served before current security practices implemented due to Toad Wars. Therefore was issued with primary codes," the android said happily.

That didn't sound good to Deadeye, or to Bucky either, judging by the brief glance he gave his gunner before speaking to Blinky again. "What do these primary codes do?" the hare said carefully.

"Primary codes allow master override of all systems," was the simple reply.

Bucky dropped his voice. "Blinky, are you telling me this old ship has codes that could override the current Genus orbital defense system?"

"Given age and service of ship, this is a high statistical probability, Captain," Blinky chirped.

The captain took that calmly enough, Deadeye thought. His next words to Blinky were quick and clear. "Can't Genus just cancel these codes?"

"Negative, Captain. Technical teams would require primary codes to cancel access."

Bucky finally let some frustration into his voice. "Who designed a security system like that?" he said sharply.

"Genus orbital defense system, or ODS, was initially designed by a team of technicians lead by . . ." Blinky began, before Bucky cut him off.

"It's fine Blinky. I don't need the history lesson," Bucky said, not unkindly. "Can you confirm the likely location the codes would be stored?"

"Humble android is still determining this information, will send transmission of ship plans with probable location of codes to this communication unit once analysis complete," Blinky chattered.

"Thank you Blinky. Good work." Bucky said briefly before flicking off the communicator. He glanced at Deadeye. "Jenny's going to have to manage on her own for a while. We need to find those codes or Genus is potentially defenseless."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

The chamber was long; grey walls stretched away into gloom and dusty rubble covered the visible floor, the celling was lost in inky darkness. It felt ancient and forgotten.

Jenny paused on the threshold, standing in a pool of gem-cast light that was quickly swallowed by the vastness in front of her. She didn't know what she had been expecting but it hadn't been this. Sludge was supposed to be just the rubbish planet, not home to vast underground ruins. _It looks like it goes on forever, and who knows where to?_ She thought. Some guidance was going to be required if she wasn't to be lost down here, but an artificer had resources. She called out with her mind and the dormant quark demons that she carried stirred at her summons . . . and then wordlessly protested. Their thoughts were mere shadows of emotions but they managed to make their reluctance to be roused understood. She prodded gently but insistently and they finally bestirred themselves. Once fully awake they became excited and shot away from her, bright points of light in colors ranging from white to pale blue to soft red, spiraling upwards into the chamber. But that was as she wanted. She gave them a few moments' free play as she regarded the space that came into view in their warm illumination.

A cavernous hall loomed around her, half lost in a massive drift of gritty sand that poured through one ruined wall. The occasional partly buried statue or large stone block rose from the sea of glittering sand like floundering ships in a petrified storm. Above, the roof was supported by many wide beams joining a central peek that made the hall into a vast ribcage. Despite the size and its ruined state the place had a comfortable ambience. _It feels as if it were meant to welcome_ , Jenny thought. But her main considerations were of putting as much distance between her and her foes as possible. _Which way to go_? She could try climbing the dune, or head straight through the chamber, or investigate the other wall for openings. _Outside_? _Which way_? _Away from toads_? She flicked the mental question to the rushing quark demons. They responded, dashing briefly around her in flashes of light, and then bolting away with a whoosh. She followed more sedately, listening to the whisper of their flashing thoughts. Quark demons weren't truly sentient. They would take her somewhere; she just hoped it was somewhere she wanted to go.

Jenny grimaced as she was forced to balance on the unstable sand that covered the chamber's floor. She was feeling her injuries more. Her legs ached from the fall, the pain in her twisted arm was a searing throb and her face stung from the blow she had received. She might need to take the time for a healing spell. She glanced apprehensively behind her to where the darkness was retaking the chamber. Healing was draining; it could wait until she was somewhere more secure. Jenny rubbed her arm, feeling where the armor had been bent out of shape by a powerful grip. She sent the demons a more urgent query. _Away from toads_? _Which way_?

After she and Bruiser had departed from the rest of the crew at the Righteous, the journey out here had been uneventful; until she'd seen the smoke. She had guided the Croaker through mounds of rusting debris with the powerful form of Bruiser hunched behind her. His weight meant she had to adjust her steering style, but she was used to that. They only exchanged a few quick words as she concentrated on navigating and flying the small ungainly looking craft through the dust and the muggy heat.

She'd triangulated the approximate position of the toad base from the amphibians' movements, but there wasn't enough data to pinpoint an exact location. This region of Sludge was sparsely populated, and her calculations had taken them out past the main area of current rat activity and into the older heaps of waste; a good place to hide, but she was good at finding.

She'd seen the smoke first, although for a while she thought it was just a darker form of the smog that was common on polluted Sludge. The weather of the planet was hard to predict, with dangerous dust storms or choking smog known to form rapidly, so she watched the dark smudge warily. When she realized what she was seeing she twisted the Croaker in the direction of the beacon then mentioned it to Bruiser.

He made an inquiring grunt. "What ya tink it tis?"

She gave that due consideration but could only reply. "I'm not sure. But we need to find out." _Bucky would need to know what they were up against_ , she thought.

Out here, the vast mounds of rubbish had been overtaken in places by the shifting sands and there were more natural rocks and cliffs, though the air still tasted dirty. She loosened the Croaker's steering and skated them low over a dune, enjoying the moment of increased speed and the rush of cool wind as they slid across the far side. There was a quiet whimper from the passenger behind her that made her subdue her driving to a more sedate pace. Travelling close to the ground would help keep them hidden but it made the giant baboon nervous when she came near obstacles, although he would never own to that.

She slipped behind another dune that had rusty metal shards jutting from its crown like reaching fingers. The dune ran for a long way, bringing them nearer the beckoning signal. When they glided around a corner she stopped the Croaker where they were concealed by more corroded metal.

Jenny stared from behind the rusty barrier. What had the Sludge official said; ' _It will have made a hell of a dent . . ._ '? It certainly had. She was looking at what must be the main section of the crashed spaceship. It had come to rest half buried in the base of a small mountain, in which the ship had carved a massive gouge. Smoke drifted lazily up from the devastation, a tall dark column in the still air.

Bruiser shifted to stand behind her. "That must be der ship dem toads shot down. We should tell der Captain."

Jenny kept watching the wreck. This had to be where the toads were coming from, but that made no sense that she could fathom. _If they already had the ship, why attack salvage crews? Perhaps this part of the ship didn't have what they sought, but if they didn't want this bit of the wreck, why stay here? Maybe it was just a convenient base, but how much of a base could a crash site be_? She wanted more to tell Bucky than vague suspicions.

She glanced at the ground between them and the ship, quickly plotting a course that would keep them to cover, then motioned Bruiser to sit. "We will report to the Captain, but I want a closer look first. I think there are toads there."

Bruiser sat with a thump as Jenny nudged the Croaker into motion. "Goody. I wanna smash some toadies." She could hear the grin in his voice. This was what she had wanted to avoid. Bruiser's smashing was not going to reveal what the toads were up to, and Bucky needed answers, not a load of hysterical toads. She kicked the Croaker forward then pointed to the last substantial pile of rubbish before the gaping hole the crashed ship had carved.

"We'll take the Croaker as far as that scrap ridge, and then I'm going in alone. You are to report back to Bucky and hold position. If I don't make contact in thirty minutes, pull out and find back-up." She was careful to phrase it as an order.

She felt him shift uneasily then speak reluctantly. "Aye-aye, First Mate."

She'd left him looking despondent and restless, sitting awkwardly across the Croaker and watching her leave as if he was missing some party.

Crossing the rough ground had proved easy; there was plenty of cover for her as she moved carefully from scrap pile to sandy drift, and she didn't sense any patrols. The massive hull of the ship lolled impassively, apparently alone and unattended. She was wondering if she was incorrect in her supposition about toads being at the wreck, until she reached where the ship had dug deeply into the mountainside.

Toads swarmed in the great pit below her, many many more than she had expected to find. Jenny watched, lying flat against the aggravatingly dusty ground under rusty arcs of scrap for cover. _It can't have been a true crash_ , she thought. This part of the ship had more slid than crashed into the mountain, tearing away a large amount of rock but remaining almost whole itself. She remembered that the ship was already part way through a controlled decent when the toads had attacked. In the pit, the toads had parked many vehicles and formed a rough camp. This was undoubtedly their base of operation, but she could discern little more from her position.

She briefly considered returning to Bruiser and the Croaker immediately, but curiosity got the better of her, pulling her to investigate further. Besides, she still had little more to report to Bucky than that there were a lot of toads here. She watched for several more moments then crept from her current concealment and slipped carefully around to where a toad foot patrol looked to be returning. A dozen stormtoads dressed in their standard issue jumpsuits marched messily towards a makeshift ramp of scrap metal that descended into the rough pit. She stepped out from cover as the toads passed. One stormtoad turned to look at the white cat in silver armor with glowing red gems. After a moment he gave a brief grunt of relaxed recognition turned away. She didn't get as much as a glance from the rest of the soldiers as she fell into step beside them. Toad minds were seldom difficult to fool. As long as the spell held, they would see her as just another of their number.

She looked around as she entered the pit among the patrol. Perhaps Bucky had been wrong, and whatever of value the wreck of the Suetonius held was in this main section, not with the cockpit. The toads certainly seemed to be searching for something, although they were so disorganized and haphazard it was hard to tell where their efforts focused. Off to her side, it looked as if digging was occurring. She continued with the patrol for another moment then broke away to head for what seemed to be the center of activity. That was a mistake.

Toads rushed all around her, some now giving her puzzled glances. She shouldn't have left the patrol and she shouldn't be walking with such assured purpose. She wasn't acting like a toad and it made her more obvious. Trying to cover for the misjudgment, she walked faster.

A small bulky screen surrounded by a cluster of stormtoads was blaring out the ever present Toad TV. They stared, transfixed by the flashy images and raucous sounds, until she passed close by. Then several of the toads turned to watch her with looks of bewilderment, although they seemed too unsure to take any action. Keeping the camouflage illusion going among so many minds was becoming a strain, making it difficult to focus. She headed quickly for where the back of a large transport vehicle stood gaping open into the pit, hoping to find a brief respite and another group to join. That was another mistake.

She had wanted fewer eyes on her, but as she stepped into the room formed by the vehicle it was full of toads. Stormtoads sauntered about or stood aimlessly awaiting orders, and others that looked to be technicians or scientists were busy at instrument panels and screens, or talking in small groups. Jenny concentrated, pulling on her mental reserves to bolsters the weakening concealment spell. She got a few baffled stares but was successfully batting away their questioning thoughts until she heard a grating, irritated voice that cut across the babble.

"It has to be close, you buffoons. Your job is to find it. I didn't crash this blasted ship for nothing."

The hair along the back of her neck stood up and she had to fight the urge to bare her teeth. Whatever the toads wanted, they wanted it badly if _he_ was here. Now she had something important to report to Bucky. She calmed herself and started to carefully turn to leave the way she'd come. There was an abrupt exclamation of surprise in the same rough voice. "What?!" She spun around quickly. The cyborg at the far end of the room was nearly three times her size, heavily armored and built for combat. He towered above the other toads, hunching awkwardly in the low space. A pair of malevolent, glassy eyes were fixed on her then Toadborg's voice came out in a low growl. "The Aldebaran? Here?" She didn't wait for any more, spinning back around and darting away. She heard the angry bark from behind as she jumped through the doorway. "Don't just stand there you fools! Get her!"

She gave up any hope of concealment, instead rushing through ranks of stunned toads. They were slow to react, even with the muffled threats and instructions she could hear being yelled at them by their irate leader. If they stayed confused for long enough she might have a chance of escape.

She lunged to the side as a volley of ill aimed blasts pattered into the dirt beside her; one or two glanced off her armor. Part of her registered what that meant. Full strength maser shots would have done damage, armor or not. They weren't out for the kill, were being careful with her. _Hells_ , she was not keen on being captured by Toadborg, _again_.

More shots struck the ground close to her and she sprang away in another direction. A moment later and she dove abruptly to the side when she suddenly glimpsed a clear path. As she sprinted onto the path she realized it was a long, roughly-built walkway extending over a deeper pit. Jenny ran down the narrow metal with the void yawning either side of her. She was halfway along when the massive cyborg suddenly crashed down in front of her, landing where the walkway widened into a small platform; the whole contraption shock with the impact of his arrival. _My stars, I'm a fool, they were steering me here_ , she thought briefly as she dodged Toadborg's grasping swipe. She pivoted around, but the way she had come from was full of rushing stormtoads. She glanced to the side and made a decision.

Jenny spun again to avoid another lunge from the cyborg and the chaotic fire from the other toads then leapt off the walkway.

It was high, a long way to fall, but instinct and training kicked in. Her leap had taken her beyond the jagged edge of the walkway and the rocks she had glimpsed below. She twisted deftly in the clear air, bringing her limbs underneath her and branching body as the ground rushed up. She took the impact carefully, landing in a soft crouch, but she still felt the shock of the collision lance through her. She remained in the crouch for a moment, dragging air back into her winded chest as the dust and her hair settled back into place. When she risked a glance over a shoulder, the stormtoads were all clustered on the edge of the walkway, peering down. None of them seemed keen on trying the long leap, although they'd probably soon figure out they had blasters whose shots could reach her. She tensed her muscles to run.

There was a splintering thump directly behind her. She whirled around to see Toadborg steadying himself among the smashed rocks where he had landed. She'd started to run before she fully comprehended he was there, but a massive hand closed like a vice around her arm and yanked her back with enough force that she thought the limb might wrench from its socket. She swung around with a desperate kick that slammed into a metal chest, but it was like hitting rock. There was a blast of pain across her face as the cyborg replied with a backhanded swipe and a sharply growled, "Hold still."

Jenny reeled in his grasp for a moment, but when she heard a click she forced open her stinging eyes and looked up. The cyborg's unsheathed arm guns were leveled at her face. She took an involuntary step back and the guns' muzzles followed her steadily. Behind them, the cyborg glared, still leaning forward in a low crouch so that his head was almost level with hers. She strained away as far as his iron grip on her arm would allow, it wasn't nearly far enough. A hot trickle of blood ran down her face.

"If you're here, so is that damn green rabbit. Tell me where he is and how you found us," he snarled.

The frightening visage made her heart jump but she stared back at him and replied with as much venom as she could, " _No_." Only after she said it, did she realize she'd effectively confirmed Bucky's presence. _Damn you Toadborg_. Her anger flared. She tried to pull her arm free again, but met with solid resistance. The hand around her arm tightened to a painful degree and the cyborg tugged her around to face him again. He swung the arm guns away as his other hand clamped around her jaw and held her still, ignoring her claws as she scrabbled ineffectively at the cold metal. The feeling of helplessness was suddenly appalling. She bared her teeth at him in vexation, pain fueling a kind of grim fury.

If he saw her anger, it didn't bother him. "You'll tell me, witch. And then I might find some other use for you," he said in a voice thick with threat.

She bit back the wave of panic that urged her to claw and struggle more, and kept watching him with indignation, although her heart was in her throat. _You are an Aldebaran Sister. Remember your training. Cam down and observe_. She steadied both her mind and her body then began to examine properly.

The huge cyborg looked awkward and he hadn't yet tried to stand, she realized. It was only then that she noticed his shattered legs, crushed under his own weight among the rough rocks when he'd leapt down from the walkway after her. This time it was hope that flared. He couldn't chase her like this, and she could probably outsprint and out maneuver the other toads' famously poor weapons fire over a short distance, probably. All she need do was break his grip; she didn't have a hope of physically overpowering the formidable cyborg, but there were ways . . .

She shifted her stance slightly, not letting the tension in her muscles show and gathering her courage, and then she stepped forward. The cyborg's metal face was hard to read for emotion, but she thought she detected surprise in the cold eyes before she raised her arm and released a blast of light from her gems directly into them.

Although Toadborg gave an angry yell and let go of her face, his grip on her arm didn't loosen, but she had been ready for that. Under the cover of the dying flare, she brought her arm down to his hand with a quick close-range blast of energy, something that could have come from a concealed maser. There was a bellow from the cyborg as metal fingers dropped away. She was running a moment later.

Jenny didn't wait to see how effective her attack had been. As she took off at a sprint, maser blasts from the toads above peppered the ground where she had been. Toadborg yelled again as the friendly fire hit him. Jenny kept running hard away from the maimed cyborg and the firing toads.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

The proximity alarms were blaring out a sharp warning as their craft sped forward, skating dangerously close to the rusty metal. He ignored the shrill scream, trusting to the rat pilot to fly the vessel as he sighted on the speeder that followed close behind them. The ugly stamp of the Toad Empire was emblazoned across the smaller pursuit vehicle's front, and the toad behind the driver was firing messily. Deadeye put a shot through the speeder's glaring livery then followed through with a second blast to the weakened metal that hit the engine below. He moved systematically to the next target, not bothering to watch the speeder crash. There were plenty of targets to choose from; more than another dozen toad speeders chased them. He dropped two more of their pursuers in quick succession as their own rushing vehicle jerked onwards. Beside him, several of the rats were also crouched behind the vehicle's shielding and firing defensively. They needed the guns. The place was swarming with toads.

"Nearly there! Keep them off us!" he heard Bucky yell from somewhere near the front of the vehicle. Their craft lurched and the alarms finally quieted then the captain was calling out again, "Guns forward!"

Deadeye swung around at the command, sighting over the bow of their craft and jamming his shoulders hard against the side of the vessel for support. They were in the open now and the toad cruiser loomed ahead, its front a gapping maw from where enemy speeders spilled. He could see stormtoads rushing about on foot inside the bay, a lot of stormtoads. The duck grinned at their angry and panicked faces. This was what he was good at, not worrying about cross-species politics or why the toads were here, but action. He picked off a few toads that were stupid enough to come near the front of the bay, although that was a drop in the vast ocean of foes he could see.

The pale sunlight was abruptly cut off by the shadow of the cruiser as they rushed closer. Deadeye had been ready for it, but it still took him a second to refocus his gaze. By then they were nearly on the toad craft and a moment later they were skidding into the bay itself.

The rat transport slammed into the floor of the bay with a judder that threw Deadeye off his feet. Their own alarms and those of the toads were blaring as he rolled upright with a blaster in each hand. The rats around him were also quickly rising from the ground, but he saw the red and gold shape of Bucky already leaping over the side of their craft. He cursed under his breath and lunged to where the hare had disappeared, his guns ready.

As Deadeye made it to the side of the craft, Bucky was well across the bay, dancing past the toads, his speed and dodging keeping him ahead of their guns, just. Deadeye fired on a stormtoad who was sighting more carefully than most on the evasive hare, and then clambered off the craft himself. The rats assigned to the diversion were either side of him as they gained the hanger floor. He could hear shouts of "He's alone!" and "Get him!" from the toads. So far it was going as Bucky had said, nearly all the toads' focus was on the lone hare, although that couldn't last for much longer. Deadeye concentrated on covering fire for his captain. Behind him, he could hear the rats still in the transport yell and start to fire with the crafts' larger but more unwieldy guns. At that signal, he set off after the captain.

The toads had finally noticed that they had more than one enemy ingression to deal with; blasters were being turned towards his little band. But the rats in the transporter were now providing enough cover for them to press forward. They did just that, following the trail that Bucky had blazed through the panicked amphibians. Deadeye grinned again as he pushed through the toad ranks, he was glad they were finally seeing some action, he'd been getting board on their previously uneventful mission.

When they were still calmly tracking the crashed spaceship through the endless badlands of Sludge, Deadeye had been watching the monotonous view with dwindling interest. Tall heaps of old metal speed past. Rust and dirt were everywhere; the wind was brisk and the sky bleak, the suns hidden behind ugly clouds.

Their roughly constructed transport led the small convoy of similar vehicles through the twisting maze of scrap and sand. Bucky was busy going over some data that Blinky had sent through, and with no other prospect of conversation or much else to pass the time Deadeye had finally given in and spoken to the little albino rat Tia, who had again seated herself close to him.

"I sees yur a Cutter," he said. That got a haughty snort of acknowledgment from the rat. Her entire manner was prickly.

He had noticed that Tia appeared to have an escort of sorts; a large pale brown rat and two smaller, darker members of the crew seemed to always be near her. These other rats were seated unobtrusively behind Deadeye and Tia now, chatting to each other but occasionally glancing forward. They also sported the Cutter Clan marking of one golden tooth _. A crew within a crew_ , he thought. _Someone be wanting ta keep an eye on tha outsiders_. Being mistrusted so blatantly made him cranky, and put him in no mood to play games with the rats.

"I remember tha Cutters when Boris tha Black were at large," he continued in a casual tone. Boris and his crew had been infamous pirates, known for their viciousness, and Cutters to boot. The rats of Sludge did their best to distance themselves from that part of their sordid history.

He'd aimed to provoke Tia, but she replied calmly enough after a brief silence. "My captain served with him."

That admission surprised Deadeye. "Then yur capt'in must be a piece o' work, lass. That were a brutal crew," he replied with some interest. No one had ever found out what happened to most of the Black crew.

His attention was abruptly diverted as Bucky was suddenly answering his buzzing communicator.

"Um . . . Captain? You der?" Bruiser said through the com. The baboon's voice sounded alarmed.

"Go ahead, Bruiser." Bucky replied quickly.

"There's a whole lot 'a toads here. They're coming out of the ground I tink."

"How many toads?" Bucky was sitting forward with attention now.

"Lots and lots. They're on speeders."

"Have they spotted you?" the captain asked quickly.

"Don't tink so. Want me ta scare um a bit, Captain?" Bruiser said.

"I want you to pull out," Bucky said sharply.

"What about . . . ?"

The captain cut him off, " _Pull out_ , that's an order. Head towards this location if you're able, or go to ground if you think the toads will detect you. Only engage if you're cornered. We'll come to intercept and help. Keep me up dated on developments."

"Aye-aye, Captain," came the reply.

Bucky looked at Deadeye, still gripping the communicator in a loose fist. "We've found the toads, or maybe they've found us. Get ready for action. I want you with the aft guns initially. I'm going to go speak to the First Mate."

As Bucky made his way to the bow, Tia wordlessly followed the hare. Deadeye got up and headed to the rear of the ship. He shouldered himself a spot among the rats who were watching their back; they grumbled but made room for him.

The duck hunched behind the rear shielding and watched the trash and dust and the other rat vehicles that followed theirs, mulling over what Tia had said. Black Heart Boris had lead one of the excessively cruel pirate crews that had prompted the creation of the Code of the Corsair Canards; a statement that the Canards would not hurt anyone who did not first offer them harm. There had been reluctance among some of the old pirate ducks at bringing in the Code, but it had proved its worth, making the Canards almost respectable pirates and distinguishing them from the likes of Boris.

Deadeye dropped two hands onto the blasters hung at his belt, moving the guns slightly to make sure they would come free of their holsters smoothly when required. He'd known that the rats here had their secrets, but it wasn't until now that he had felt that those secrets might be dangerous to his own crew. He shifted to turn and gaze the length of the ship, eliciting another round of grumbles from the rats around him that he ignored. Bucky and the First Mate were conversing quickly over a screen in the instrument panel. The Mate had been introduced as Ralph. He had shiny brown fur and was the highest ranking rat officer out with them. As Deadeye watched he seemed to pause for a moment, staring at the screen. Bucky abruptly grabbed the panel communicator that relayed between the rat craft.

"Incoming!" Bucky called loudly enough into the communicator that his voice carried across their ship as well.

Deadeye turned back around in an instant, pulling his blaster free; the world was suddenly filled with noise and light. Behind their craft the snaking train of other rat vehicles was in disarray as innumerable rushing toad speeders appeared through the brown dust, firing on the rats. Deadeye forgot about everything else and started to return fire.

That attack scattered the rat convoy. Toads were never skillful gunners, but their sheer numbers and fanatically fighting made up for lack of ability. By the time their own craft was clear of the toads, he couldn't see any of the other rat vehicles, only a cohort toad speeders following them like sharks.

He knew now that they had underestimated the toad commitment to whatever the amphibians were up to on Sludge. The mission notes and briefing had mentioned half a dozen toad craft, and his they'd come expecting a small expedition force from the amphibians, but this was clearly much more than that.

The toads behind them seemed to be keeping their distance for now, and their long range fire either went wide or struck the heavy shielding of the rat craft and did no real damage. Deadeye shouldered through the rat gunners and started back along the deck of the transport, heading for the bow.

"How many ships attacked ye before?" he had to yell to make himself heard over the noise of their maxed out engines and the distant weapons' fire as he struggled to the front of the rat craft.

The slick brown rat called Ralph was flying their transporter, trying to keep ahead of the toads while speeding among the scrap piles. He didn't look up as he answered, "I dunno, less than ten though."

"Six, there were just six of them. And the on-world attacks were about that number too," the little white rat Tia supplied, scowling. She sat at the craft's bow guns, her small hands tight around the controls.

"There be a few more than that now," Deadeye replied as he reached the bow, keeping an eye on the toads behind them. Although the amphibians were currently out of their capable firing range they still seemed intent on loosing ineffective maser blasts in their direction.

"Too many . . ." That was Bucky. The hare watched the teeming enemy intently. "We're hemmed in by the scrap and they've scattered us. Even toad gunners can pick us off like this."

There was a grunt from Ralph. "Not if we keep ahead of 'em," the rat said. "They can chase us all the way back to base and see how they likes what we got for 'em there."

Tia made a disgusted noise, prompting Ralph to reply with some exasperation. "Tia, we're not taking stupid risks. You know I don't wanna see you hurt, and the captain will literally hamstring me if he thinks I didn't look after his precious gunner, not to mention the rest of this sorry lot. The green hare said it; too many is too many."

"This is wrong," Bucky said, interrupting with sudden authority. "We shouldn't be able to keep this far ahead of speeders in a craft like this. They're steering us."

Ralph gave another grunt, "That's a bit smart for what I've heard 'bout toads, they're probably just scared we'll shoot 'em."

"We're heading away from your base, and what about the rest of your convoy?" Bucky said.

Ralph made a quick jerk with his head. "There's nowhere to go 'cept forward for now." Around them, rusty metal rose high on either side, the cloudy brown sky a narrow ribbon above.

"There's back," Bucky said.

Ralph gave a bark of laughter, "They _will_ pick us off."

"We've got the guns and the shielding to keep the toads at bay. If they're trying to chase us off I want to know why." Bucky said firmly.

"Who put you in charge, anyway?" Ralph snapped. Deadeye dropped two hands to rest on the holstered blasters in his belt. There had been enough of a note of threat in the rat's voice to put him back on full alert.

"You asked for UAC help. I'm providing a recommendation," Bucky said levelly.

"I don't recall asking for help," Ralph growled back. Deadeye shifted the guns slightly, making sure they would come free quickly. Tia leaned around and gave Ralph a light punch on the arm. "You know you're supposed to listen to him, you stubborn idiot," the little rat piped up. Ralph rolled his eyes. "Fine luv," he grumbled then raised his voice. "Alright Mr. Captain, what's you're recommendation for our current predicament?"

"Turn around," said Bucky.

When they rounded on the toads, the speeders had scattered but then closed in behind them. Bucky had given quick instructions that had Deadeye and most of the rat crew firing on the toads as the speeders quickly gained on their larger craft. Deadeye was pleased with the heavy shielding of the vehicle; slower than the speeders it might be, but they barely took damage from the toad maser blasts that were sent their way. And the rat Ralph might be a trouble maker but he could handle the craft well enough.

He was beginning to enjoy himself, picking off the easy targets the toads presented, when a massive blast sent him reeling to the floor of the transport. He was on his feet in a second, to see Ralph struggling to steady the craft. A glance behind them showed him a huge rent in the scrap that glowed and smoked. Several toad speeders were strung among the damage but their own craft was still sound. _Missed, ye bastards_ , he thought then turned his attention to the captain. Bucky was yelling out instructions while looking up and backwards. When Deadeye glanced in that direction, he glimpsed the shape of a large craft through the shards of scrap.

"A toad cruiser," Bucky yelled. "They were steering us into an ambush."

There was another blast that smashed into the scrap in front of them. Their craft bucked as they plunged into bright light. A moment later they were out the other side as falling scrap and thick dust rained down around them.

"They ain't going to need to bother steering us anywhere if they just blow up the place around us!" Ralph yelled back.

There were suddenly maser blasts flickering around them again and Deadeye could see toad speeders in front of them now. Tia had the bow guns and dropped the speeders, but there were more behind them.

"I'd be keen on some of those fancy UAC recommendations right 'bout now!" Ralph yelled.

The rat's tone had been sarcastic but Bucky's was serious, "Bring her around. Head for the first hole in the scarp that the blast made. We're not going to out run or out maneuver or out gun them, but they won't expect us to try and infiltrate that cruiser."

Ralph cursed like a pirate. "There's a good reason they won't expect us to head for the cruiser, it's suicide."

Another large blast struck in front of them, the toad cruiser showing no concern for her own speeder mounted forces. The rat craft abruptly banked as Ralph turned them to avoid large fragments of falling scrap, smoking and hot.

"Changed my mind, Mr. Captain," the rat called out. "Hope you got a bit more of a plan than just flying at 'em."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

The massive wound in the side of the mountain loomed around her. Jenny dashed on, at first heedless of her direction as long as it was away. She didn't know how long she had before the toads would be after her again. She needed a refuge, some way out, but as she hurriedly glanced about, all she could see was rough stone rising everywhere in huge shattered shards. Her feet pushed off from gravel and rocks as she danced hurriedly over the loose pavement.

A swirling wind was stirring the sand into little dust devils that twirled across the rough ground. Jenny turned her head as a gritty breeze hit her, and her eye was suddenly caught by something out of place. She spun towards it on instinct. A large arch loomed ahead, but this was clearly built rather than naturally formed. Cracks angled across a surface that must have once been smooth and polished. She ran through.

Jenny slackened her sprint to a quick run and risked a better look around her. She was surrounded by vast ruins; massive stone columns rose around, all broken or toppled, and there were what appeared to be fallen statues, but they were so damaged it was hard to determine features. Here and there was the dull brassy gleam of metal ornamenting the damaged stonework.

She thought she heard a yell from behind and speed up again with a kick of adrenalin, dogging to the side among the columns and rubble to push deeper into the ruins. As she ran on, the columns formed what must have once been an avenue, although the once straight path was now littered with rocky debris that obscured most of its course. _Avenues lead somewhere_ , Jenny thought. She ran between the tall stones, searching for cover.

A substantial stone column had fallen across her path, cracking close to the base to come to rest propped against itself in a low arch. She skidded to a quick halt then dropped into a graceful crouch, wincing as she was forced to shift her injured arm to a painful position. When Jenny stood up on the other side, instead of cover she was met by an unyielding barrier. The wall towered above her and stretched away to either side, smooth and implacable. It was faced in a brassy metal, looping in sweeping patterns. The toads had been here, she could see messy tools and rubbish strung about, as well as fresh damage to the metal wall where they seemed to have been striking at it. She swallowed her dismay at the dead end and quickly glanced to either side, trying to find the best route over the unstable wreckage of rock around her.

Her breath was coming sharp and fast, and she put a hand up to steady herself for a moment. When she touched the wall she felt the sudden jolt of energy. Jenny snatched her hand away then stared at the wall in disbelief. A moment later she laid her hand carful to the metal again. She felt something, a vague pull of energy that was at once welcomingly recognizable but also strangely unfamiliar. With nothing else to guide her, she followed the pull, sliding a hand up one arch of the pattern then back across another, her movements becoming more sure and quick as she continued; although she didn't know where this dance was leading her. Then the metal seemed to shift; one loop rotating as another sunk back into the wall and another circled in the opposite direction. Dust and small bits of rock shook loose. A moment later she was looking at a dark opening in the previously solid barrier. The opening wasn't large, and several hoops of the metal were at odd angels, shivering slightly as though under strain _. It will close again in a moment_ , she thought, _and I will either be on this side or the other_.

The wind kicked up behind her, sending a stream of dust around her ankles then into the gap. The dust quickly disappeared in a cascade that tumbled downwards. The wind also brought the unmistakable sound of a shout of pursuit. She turned to look behind her but could see little way past the debris. Windblown dust struck her face, stinging as it flew against her split lip. She turned back around. Jenny's long hair grazed the sandy ground as she ducked into the darkness.

And she had found this place. _It may be a refuge_ , Jenny thought, _but it's proving a trial in itself_. Now that she was deep in the underground ruins, she was relying on the capricious guidance of the quark demons. Their pinpoint lights bobbed ahead, moving steadily forward but occasionally making erratic flights around parts of the huge stone chamber, tuning the place into a galaxy in miniature.

Jenny moved to the more complete side of the hall, to walk were the unstable sand was less. Along the wall she found that every huge rib of the supporting stone structure ended in a statue. Each statue looked slightly different from the others, but for each all she could really discern through the heavy damage was its basic shape and sometimes a wide brass collar or dully gleaming edge to an arm that might have represented a bracelet or similar ornamentation. She stopped truly noting the statues after a while, there were so many of them.

She was nearly through the long chamber, heading for a wide dark doorway bordered by coiled metal work, when one statue stood out. At first she didn't realize why, the front was smashed to rubble like all the others, and then she saw that though most of the head was gone, some of a face including one eye remained. Curious despite her eagerness to move on, she stopped to gaze at the statue. It towered above her impassively. The face didn't tell her much, it was missing both mouth and nose, and the one large eye was shut. She still wanted to look more closely, so she gestured at some of the rocky debris, her gems glowing as she swept the stones into a crude stair against the statue. When she climbed the stair, she was able to peer directly at the stone face, such as it was. The carving was delicate and intricate. Where the original surface remained, convoluted patterns spiraled over the stone skin. After a minute she reached out and ran a finger along the fine carving of the stylized lidded eye. The eye abruptly opened.

The cry she made echoed loudly around the silent chamber and split her scabbed lip open anew. She nearly fell from the stairs she had constructed as she lunged away. Her first thought was to flee, but she managed to swallow her fear enough to look back at the statue from her run-ready crouch. Its eye was still open, gleaming with the same brassy metal that ornamented much of the stone work, but nothing else had changed, it was still a ruined statue in a ruined hall. _Maybe the eye was open all the time and I only imagined it closed_? _How could a stone eye open_? She carefully stood back up to look into the eye.

The quark demons abruptly rushed around her and the statue. She wasn't surprised by their behavior; now that she was paying attention she could feel the pull of a strong energy from the statue, or rather from the eye.

The light from the circling quark demons reflected off something that sent out a kaleidoscope of rainbows. Jenny carefully reached out to the crystal that nestled at the eye's center. It was unlike the ones she wore, roughly cut and clear, where her own gems were smooth and a bright red. The sensation emanating from the crystal was both foreign and familiar. When she touched it, the gem wobbled slightly in the bright brass housing of looping metal swirls that made up the rest of the eye. She pressed a little harder and the entire eye suddenly slipped from the statue's face. Jenny caught it in both hands with a quick gasp. After a moment, she opened her tight grasp to inspect the relic. It was beautiful, glinting in the light of the madly circling demons as it lay in the cradle of her hold. The bronzy metal held twisting designs that coiled and looped around the sparkling gem. A bright drop of blood from her newly re-opened lip wound struck the complex surface of the eye and slid across an arch of metal, leaving a smear. She wiped it away as best she could with her thumb.

After a quick contemplation she pulled open her cat suit at the neck and slipped the eye-gem into her top. It felt cool nestling between her breasts.

The quark demons abruptly rushed around her, buffeting against her with little stings of electricity and leaving a glittering residue. _Oh my stars, what is wrong with you?_ She sent out a pulse of magic from her gems and they finally flashed away and quieted, dipping gently in the air in front of her as she stood on her pile of stone. Jenny raised a mental eyebrow towards the hovering demons as she straightened her armor. She'd wasted too much time already. _Outside_? _Friends_? _Which way_? The quark demons continued dipping in place for a brief moment then rushed away. Jenny leapt down from the stones to follow, leaving the eyeless statue behind.

She trailed the demons deeper into the strange carcass of the temple or city or whatever this place had been. After the hall of statues, the ruins continued for what appeared to be forever. Nothing else was on the scale of the massive hall, and now she followed the bobbing quark demons through smaller rooms and dark interconnecting corridors that might have just been fissures in the natural rock. Neither her communicator, nor her tracker, or seemingly any of the other technology she had brought with her worked properly down here. She lost track of how long she walked. After struggling for what seemed to be an age, she had finally given in to her battered body's demands and settled herself on her knees in a dusty corner to work a healing spell under the gently looming presence of another ruined statue. Mending injuries meant that she had to identify the damage then divert energy to its repair. The spell took focus and time. The demons circled lazily around as she concentrated, their light reveling brief glimpses of carved stone and glossy brass etched with patterns.

When she rose to move on, her injuries were healed but her strength was sapped. She had never excelled at healing and it always left her drained and vulnerable. She glanced at the demons. There was no way to ask them how much further. _Friends_? _Which way_? She thought wearily. They bobbed for a moment then zipped away at speed. Jenny's eyes widened as their light quickly receded. A moment later and she was rushing with some exasperation behind the fading glow. Quark demons were more empathic than telepathic; they should sense how exhausted she was. "Curse you and your little dog too." She muttered in irritation under her breath as she hurried after them. It was a phrase Willy had used once. She liked the sound of it, although as with many things the human said she didn't understand the reference.

She chased the shifting light through several more shadowy turns then down a steep stony incline to a low opening. As she reached the opening, the quark demons had already rushed through. She could see their lights dashing and bobbling on the other side. She ducked after them. When she stood back up, the demons were circling in a wide corridor. Several rushed back to her from one end of the hallway as she surveyed her new location. She shook her thick hair back into place then added the glow of her gems to the demons' more erratic lighting to look around in better detail. This corridor was more of the same grey-brown stone veined with tarnished brass, but here there was no rubble and the dust was even at a manageable level. There were more damaged statues but they looked to have been newly arranged along the hall; the opening she had come through was half concealed behind an armless torso that leant against the wall.

She glanced further along the line of statues . . . and then she saw the figure. He – she was pretty sure it was male, although skinny, and mammal, judging by the soft outline of fur; the round ears and snaking tail suggested a rat – stood silhouetted against dim light that spilled from around a corner at the end of the corridor. She instantly called the quark demons back and snuffed out the light of her gems. _How much had he seen_?

Now that she had dimmed her own light, she could see that the corridor was lit, if poorly, by a few bare lights hanging from a thin wire. The place was also clearly used. The figure she could still see in vague silhouette was most likely a rat. If she had stumbled into somewhere the rats inhabited they should be able to help her find Bucky and she could warn them about the toads, hopefully without drawing more unwanted attention to herself. After her fight and the long trek in the dark, the relief of finding allies was immense. She relaxed for the first time in she didn't know how long.

There were calls from the end of the corridor as several more figures joined the one she had first seen. She was sure they were rats now. She thought there was a shout from behind as well, and a glance over her shoulder showed more rats at the corridor's other end. She looked away from them and started towards the first, closer group. There was an abrupt explosion of hot pain at her back then she found herself with her face pressed against the gritty floor. She tried to push herself up but there was no strength in her sluggish limbs. There was a confusion of rushing feet and clouds of choking dust around her then another ribbon of pain lanced across her back. She heard herself cry out as she fell back into the dust. There was the chatter of voices, "Like a taste o' that, do yer?" "Give 'em another lick if'in they try to gets up." "What the hell are you shootin' fur, yur pack of trigger happy bottom feeders?" "How'd they sneak in here anyways? Finish 'em off now." "Stow it, yur bilge suckers. How we gonna find out anything if'in yur go put a hole in her head?"

A hand gripped in her shoulder and her face was rolled from off the ground, but her eyes wouldn't focus enough to show more than blurry shapes. "Damn me if 'taint the witch. Go tell ol' black heart, he'll wanna know 'bout this," was the last thing she heard before unconsciousness closed in.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The toad stared, jaw dropping, but he raised his blaster. This one was quicker on the uptake than most of his still confused comrades in arms. The gun's gray metal shone dully in the pale artificial lighting. Deadeye's own guns had run out of charge in the last push to the bridge. No time for niceties. He lowered his shoulder and hit the toad at a run, knocking the amphibian flying before the little green idiot could fire on the hare who had just dashed past. Ahead, Bucky was a blur, red cape snapping as he sprinted towards the toad ship's control room doors.

' _I'll go first._ _They'll follow me, they always do_ ,' Bucky had said before their assault, the hare swaying to balance with the movements of the rat craft that had brought them here. He'd been right. Toads had swarmed around his captain like angry flies as soon as his feet had touch the deck of the amphibians' own ship. And now the doors to the bridge's outer chamber being unlocked was proof that their hastily concocted diversion had worked well enough to allow some of the other rats to get to the service corridors and disarm the internal access. A risky plan but a good one. As his captain had pointed out, the toads were hopeless at guarding anything like the auxiliary power cells. They got bored and wandered off, or started watching TV.

Deadeye stood back up, yanking the toad blaster from its former owner's hands — having to land the recumbent toad a solid kick in the ribs before the unwieldy gun came free. He fired downwards then made a quick assessment of the antechamber to the flight deck. It contained perhaps two dozen stormtoads in various stages of panic as rats spilled into the tight space. Around him the rats were yelling, calling out in a dozen different battle cries as they pushed forward. The rodents looked and sounded like disorganized rabble with their mismatched outfits and shouts, but the moved as an efficient team, cutting through the always poorly ordered toads. Deadeye swung the awkward bulk of the toad blaster around and proceeded to add to the enemy's confusion. The recoil as he repeatedly fired the toad gun jolted through him, and he remembered why he hated their badly made and poorly maintained weapons.

Beyond himself and the rats, Bucky had run up against the sturdy doors to the main bridge, these firmly locked. He slammed his gloved fists into the doors in apparent frustration before dodging away. He was trailed by a volley of toad masa blasts that seemed to hit everything but the hare.

The craft shock around them. A shuddering of metal and plastic that seemed almost alive in its distress. It might mean that the rats from the other transporters had heard their message and were joining the attacked on the toad cruiser. If so, he welcomed it as another distraction for the toads, but that was a peripheral thought. What mattered right now was getting to the bridge.

The duck pulled a palm-sized disk from a pocket in his belt then sent it flying with lizard-tongue flick of his wrist. The disk hit its mark; snapping neatly into charge Bucky had planted against the bridge doors. The door mechanism was instantly engulfed in a small explosion. He felt a pang at losing the disk. The explosion from the makeshift bomb had been too quick to retrieve it, despite its homing abilities. He had others, but that one had always flow true, which is why he'd used it now.

There was a clang of metal just beside him. Deadeye swung around to see Bucky steadying himself in a crouch then standing straight. The hare looked at the confusion around them for a moment. His breath was coming quick but level. "I'll open the doors. You get the first wave through to the bridge. Try and secure the officers before they abandon ship," he said simply, and then kicked away to vault easily over a metal handrail and leap into the midst of the toads again.

"Aye Cap'in," he called after the hare. _Simple as that, then?_ , he thought, keeping the comment internal. The rats were following Bucky, or probably more precisely they were following Captain O'Hare, and Captain O'Hare had told them to obey Deadeye during the attack, but he wasn't so sure the cooperative attitude would last past their immediate mutual danger. The rats of Sludge might _say_ they weren't pirates anymore, but taking orders from a Canard wasn't likely to be easy for them. Too much bad blood on both sides. Still, no one had baulked. A UAC captain probably didn't have any official authority here, but the lad had a way of giving orders that got them followed. If Deadeye could see the cracks in the firmness when Bucky gave confident instructions about dealing with the toads it was only because he'd been with his captain for years. Bucky was worried. Jenny going AWOL had put him on edge, and now Bruiser's com link was dead too. And the codes the crashed ship might hold could bring down Genus. And there were too many toads. It added up to Bucky taking charge now, but not without mutterings from the rats. Or at least one rat in particular.

The First Mate had accepted the situation with bad grace and sullen sarcasm, which Bucky had pointedly ignored, putting the rat officer in charge of the party that now appeared to have successfully infiltrated and shut down the auxiliary power. Trusting the cynical rat wasn't a call Deadeye had liked, but he didn't see a better alternative, and it seemed to have payed off. Besides, he wasn't fool enough to question the lad's orders in front of the rats.

There was a low grinding noise as the doors to the bridge started to open, screeching and protesting as their mechanisms were forced. Deadeye gave a quick, high-pitched whistle to alert his cohort of rats then shouldered forward towards the bridge, trusting that the rodents would follow his lead, at least for now.

* * *

The pale brown dust that covered the basic metal floor was suddenly thrown into the air. Deadeye backed up several paces, squinting in annoyance through the gritty particles, as the last of the rat transports swung in to land in the wide bay of the toad cruiser. Those around him seemed not to notice the flying dirt. Deadeye watched as a scruffy rat with a short red mohawk and a bone through his nose waved the craft to a clear section of the bay. The transport finally lowered rusty landing props and touched down on the scrapped yellow and black painted hash lines of the designated landing site.

As he'd been ordered, he kept an eye on proceedings, waiting until the rats had all their craft secure and had been briefed and sent to stations around the captured enemy ship. Then Deadeye turned impatiently from the bay. When he reached the flight deck, the doors to the bridge were shut, but the rat guards waved him on.

He stepped through the deserted outer chamber that had been teeming with toads not long before, and then paused looking into the main deck. Inside, the white rat gunner called Tia was sitting on one of the simple chairs that fronted the control panel, a dainty booted foot propped nonchalantly on the panel. Ralph, the local commanding officer, swaggered up to her then leaned casually over to adjust a flight control. As he leaned, his hand rested easily on her thigh then squeezed. The little rat scowled and gave his grinning chin a swipe, but a moment later she reached up to grab his collar and yank him into a kiss.

Deadeye kicked the door frame with a clang to announce his presence and the rats slipped apart as he stepped onto the flight deck proper. Ralph made some pretended change to the controls before turning, and then sauntered towards Deadeye. Tia kept her focus on the view screen, where craggy cliffs of rusted scrap loomed before a dull brown sky.

"Ah, the Canard," Ralph said. His manner was teasing and Deadeye felt his irritation rise. "You know, you don't look much like a Canard. The eyepatch is good, but where's the flashy outfit?"

 _So that's how we're gonna to play this_ , he thought, _Clan to clan_. "Yur don't look much like a Cutter," he growled back, "but I say you is one." Fighting alongside these rats wasn't so bad — they were organized and efficient, and it had been almost like his old days of taking ships with his Canard brethren — but dealing with the officer brought back all the bitter bile of venomous old wounds. Disputes over territory and plunder between the duck and rat pirate sects had been all the more brutal because they were outside of the laws and recognition of much of the galaxy. And now everyone was supposed to play nice.

Ralph still looked amused. "I could be. Who knows?" He reached down to his belt and adjusted the curve of an energy whip handle. Many of the rats here seemed to favor the cruel weapons. Another legacy of a past that was diplomatically forgotten. "If you're after Mr. Captain, last I saw he was interrogating some of the prisons," he said casually. "Not that he was doing a particularly thorough job of it." The offhanded way Ralph spoke about interrogation while toying with the energy whip made it clear what he thought would be more effective.

"I don't think they know anything that'll help us," Bucky said from a doorway off the flight deck.

Ralph had a good poker face, only balking slightly when he realized he'd probably been overheard by Bucky. But the briefly furtive look of panic that flashed across the slick rat's features put Deadeye in a better mood.

Bucky walked quickly over to them, his own face calm. "That's pretty standard for toads. The commanding officers rarely give out much info to the troops. It's unfortunate the officers escaped when we boarded, but that's pretty standard too. They tend to worry about themselves and not their crews." He turned to Deadeye as he came to stand with them. "Is everyone accounted for?"

Deadeye gave a quick nod. "Aye Cap'in," he replied.

Ralph was back to his cocky manner, but around Bucky the rat was more defensive. "We've got orders from base to head back with this lot," he grumbled.

"I heard," Bucky replied levelly. "Our android is flying our ship out to meet us at these coordinates. We'll continue without your escort."

"You think you and the duck can manage another cruiser, then?"

Deadeye bristled. Ralph's casually offensive manner was getting to him again. "Yaw'd be a prison or a smoking pile o' scrap if we hadn't bin 'ere," he growled at the rat, taking a step forwards, two hands on his now full charged guns.

"Stand down, Gunner," Bucky said calmly. Deadeye relaxed back almost instinctively as Bucky continued speaking to Ralph in the same level tones. "We appreciate your assistance this far, but the parameters of this mission have changed. With this many toads around we don't have time to spare."

Ralph rolled his glare off Deadeye, looked back at Bucky sullenly. "You don't even know what the bloody toads are after," he said, crossing his arms. "If this lot have any info, Captain Sliver Tongue will charm it out of 'em back at base . . . or if they prefer, Nic the Knife always gets answers."

There was a sudden bang. Deadeye looked over with the others to see Tia punching aggressively at the flight controls, her hunched back to them. When it was clear that nothing was amiss with the craft, Deadeye turned back to the others. Bucky was still calm, but Ralph was scowling. Deadeye eased himself into a relaxed stance, ready to move quickly if needed. The tension between the hare and the rat was rising.

"As the ranking officer present, I'm not condoning torture," Bucky said flatly. "And as the on-planet UAC representative, I'm providing expert opinion that stormtoads are highly unlikely to have any useful information. You're wasting your time," he continued, meeting the eyes of an increasingly annoyed looking Ralph. "I have two crew members uncontactable and possibly captured, partly because we underestimated the toad investment here. I won't be returning to your base. Relocating my people is my first priority, and stopping the toads is my second."

Deadeye frowned. A flicker of guilt had passed across Ralph's face with Bucky's words. The rat was hiding something. A heartbeat later and Ralph was scowling again. He turned to face Bucky fully, squaring his shoulders.

"I've got priorities too. You don't get to tell me what to do with these toads, Mr. Captain," he snapped.

Deadeye mentally redid his stock take of the rat's weaponry. Ralph was clearly spoiling for a fight and some way to get his bruised ego back into shape.

Bucky's expression was hard and blank, and his voice controlled. "You have orders from your commanders to return to base, which you should follow, but I am here with the authority of the UAC with a mission to complete. Don't get in my way."

"The bloody UAC's never given a damn about Rodere II or the rats, so don't come here and think I'll take orders from you, fly boy," Ralph snarled.

"That's insubordination, First Mate" Bucky replied firmly. "I'll overlook it once only."

Ralph gave a combative bark of laughter. There was a sudden frustrated exclamation from the front of the ship. "Oh damn it, Ralph, you idiot!" Tia snapped. "Stop trying to pick a fight and come and help me get this stupid ship ready to fly. I don't know what half the controls are for and you're supposed to be the pilot."

Ralph kept his eyes on Bucky for another moment, chewing his lower lip, then he grinned, seeming to come to a personal conclusion. "Thanks Mr. Captain, nice of you to overlook that. I won't stop you if you want to fly around out here looking for the witch and the baboon." He turned then spoke without looking back as he swaggered away, lifting a hand to wave over his shoulder. "Good luck."

Bucky frowned after the rat for a moment then turned to Deadeye, nodding to the other side of the bay. They began to walk briskly towards the door Bucky had entered through. Bucky shoot him a significant look, and Deadeye turned up the gain on his headset enough to catch the almost inaudibly mummer.

"Blinky's ETA is fifteen minutes. Try and keep your cool until then," Bucky said under his breath, now looking ahead again. Deadeye wasn't sure if the comment was really meant for him, or if Bucky was talking to himself.

"That Mate be hiding somein', Cap'in," he replied in equally low tones.

Bucky glanced at him as they stepped into the small room off the bridge. It looked to be separate communications array, with every surface taken up by controls or screens. Another door at the back of the room was closed; an elevator leading to other parts of the ship, including the now empty bay for the toad officers' escape craft. The place offered enough privacy for Bucky to raise his voice slightly.

"I know, and that's one reason we're not sharing Blinky's data. I overheard some of their calls to base," he said, leaning against a low panel and frowning at the floor. Deadeye decided not to ask _how_ the hare had overheard. The lad was always uncomfortable with espionage, but surprisingly good at it for all his straight laced military talk.

"What he didn't say is that there's been some sort of a security breach that the rats are upset about," Bucky continued. "That's probably got a lot to do with their orders to return to base. But right now I'm more concerned about losing contact with Jenny and now Bruiser as well, and just how many toads there are here."

"Aye Cap'in. You want ta try an' find Busier or the lass first?" Deadeye asked.

Bucky didn't look up, and Deadeye could see lines of tension around his captain's jaw tighten. Not good.

"Neither," the hare final replied. "We need to find out what the toads are after. That's more important. If there _are_ codes on that old ship that can breach the Genus defense system, it could mean thousands of lives. My crew . . . us . . . we all know the risks."

Deadeye knew better than to make comment. The lad was clearly struggling with himself. After another short pause, Bucky continued, "And if these rats think we're flying around blindly looking for lost personnel that might not be a bad thing for a while. I'm not sure who to trust at the moment."

"Aye Cap'in," he replied levelly. Not trusting the rats was exactly what he planned to do as well.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

She was aware of aching discomfort. Jenny tried to move to alleviate the throb in her shoulders but her arms were caught. She twisted and groaned as consciousness came, bringing with it a vague assortment of memories and the sting of pain lancing across her back. She lifted her bowed head passed the rippling cascade of her loose falling hair.

As her eyes opened, she was momentarily blinded by the glare of sunlight. The smell of acrid smoke was strong and there was the feel of wind on her face. She thought she could hear muffled words and the scuffing of feet. As her vision cleared, she saw that she was kneeling on an exposed platform made of dirty concrete, the edge of which dropped away to open air. The view was of the vast trash heaps of Sludge far below, stretching to the blurry horizon. The twin suns were high in the sky, their pale yellow light shining dully through murky clouds.

She tried to move again and found her hands and feet were firmly secured behind her. She bit down a wave of groggy panic, steeling herself with a brief thought exercise, then craned around to look. Her wrists and ankles were chained with heavy links to a wide metal pole. A few tugs convinced her she wouldn't release the bindings easily.

 _Where was this_? She shifted again and found she was dressed in only her cat suit, without her gems or armor. The realization required a further recourse to her training to calm her. The armor was spell-forged and thick with enchantments, an enemy removing it without her consent shouldn't be possible, and she hadn't fought without her crystals for as long as she could remember.

She started to push back against the poll in an attempt to stand. Her injured back screamed in protest at the movement, and she made a brief internal metal dive to dampen the pain signals before bracing herself to move again. As she glanced down, she saw that she knelt on a wide circle of gridded metal. In the darkness below, she thought there was the flicker of an orange flame.

There was a muffled grunt of conversation from close by. Jenny froze instantly then sunk carefully back to her knees. After a moment she heard the unmistakable sound of fast footsteps clipping closer, but her bonds and the poll prevented her turning far enough to see the approach. Another few moments and there was a quick sweep of red and gold as a figure came into her field of vision.

She covered her surprise with a glare as she recognized the skinny, sharp featured rat that stepped around to face her. He was one of the officials with whom Bucky and she had met when they were first briefed about this mission. _That briefing seemed like a long time ago but it couldn't have been more than a day or so since we were in the offices_ , she thought.

She shifted as he came closer, sitting up as much as her bindings would allow and watching him through narrowed green eyes. It was 'friendly'. His eyes flicked over her. He still had the irritatingly easy swagger to his manner, but his face looked stern. He now wore an ornate but dusty coat over his more mundane clothes; red with gold trimmings and dully gleaming brass buttons.

"You alright?" he asked simply.

There were a few answers she could give to that, she reflected, but she settled to the simplest. "No," she said with hardly veiled indignation. "Let me go." She tugged at her bindings in emphasis as she spoke.

He quickly crouched down close to her. "Not at good idea yet, luv," he said quietly.

Jenny couldn't see much behind her, but she now heard additional voices then the sound another pair of more ponderous feet approaching. The rat rolled his dark eyes. "Damn. The boss's 'ere already, thought he might take a wee bit longer." He looked back at her face. "You just sit tight and try to be calm." He glanced down at her body. "Not that you got too much choice in the sittin' bit, 'course." His accent was much stronger than at their previous meeting in the company offices, she realized.

There was an abrupt, irritated call from behind. "What the hell are you doing down there? I said no one was to go near her. The chronicles warn that the witches have enchantments."

The rat looked briefly furtive then she heard him mutter quickly under his breath, "Sorry 'bout this, luv." A heartbeat later both his hands grabbed her head then his muzzle was suddenly pressed to her own. It took her a moment to realize he was trying to kiss her. His whiskers were scratchy but his breath was sweet. He made a low grunt and pushed her back against the poll, his mouth opening slightly and one hand starting to comb through her hair. She squirmed and the pressure on her mouth was abruptly released. The rat stood up and turned away as she sputtered angrily at the handling.

As she tried to arrange her thoughts, she could hear him speaking, "Just a bit'a fun. Yar gott'a admit she's a beaut."

There was a disdainful sniff then the other voice answered, "Beauty's in the eye of the beholder. She's an evil witch."

From the edge of her vison, Jenny could see that the skinny rat was grinning, his gold tooth glinting. "Could be evil's in the eye 'o the beholder, too. There ain't nothing too dreadful 'bout 'er that I seen."

The skinny one stepped back around to stand before Jenny as a second, large thick-set rat came to join him. She wasn't surprised to see the other official from the meeting; she'd already recognized his sneering voice. His outfit had changed too; he now wore a long black coat, as well as a heavy brass collar and thick bracelets that reminded her of something she couldn't place. Grey speckled his otherwise black fur.

The first rat was still speaking. "And 'tis a sorry waste to throw 'er away. Have you any concept what one o'er kind would make at the auctions? Give 'er to me, why don't ya? We can split the flesh price even 'tween us."

"You've got the armor for your roll in finding her. That's plenty of profit for you," the larger rat snapped out in gruff reply. He turned to look at Jenny with a heavy scowl and cold eyes. "She's not leaving. Now that she knows what's here, she'll bring other witches." He frowned harder and spoke with more menace and a thicker accent. "'er kind should suffer fur what they done to us."

"Ah this one had naught to do with that ancient history," the skinny rat said, waving a hand airily.

The other rat turned on him with suddenly passion. "Do you forget yur own chronicles?" He jabbed an angry finger in Jenny's direction. " _She_ is the one who snuck in'ta the chambers. I won't allow our home to be taken from us ag'in." He almost spat the last words.

The skinny rat's manner had changed during the address. He looked more serious, and spoke in a solemn voice, "And I won't allow a threat to Rodere II, if'in it's in my power to stop it. This planet's home to too many of me kin."

After a searching scowl at his companion, the larger official seemed satisfied. He relaxed and spoke more levelly, although still with an edge of threat, "Good to see you know your priorities, Captain."

The skinny rat grinned again. "Good to see you might value me fur more than me guns and me smuggling there, sir."

Jenny watched them both carefully. She was feeling more lucid and had now had a chance to take better stock of her surroundings. Her observations had not been comforting. The concrete that she'd first taken to be simply dirty was in fact stained black with soot, as was the metal on which she knelt. She couldn't see much of the poll she was chained to, but as she pressed her fingers against its surface she could feel innumerable small round holes that would act as vents. When she and the crew had first come to Sludge, she'd seen the burn off of gas from the processing plant's towers. The flames had looked big, blazing in colors from orange to green. Below her knees, the small pilot light that would ignite the gas flickered gently.

Although her realization about the burning tower had given her some pause, she wasn't immediately concerned. They had waited to for her to regain consciousness. They wanted something. Whether it was to gloat, or ask her questions, or make her suffer she wasn't sure, but it gave her a chance. She took a deep breath.

"I didn't sneak into the ruins. My being there was an accident. I was trying to escape from the toads." She kept her voice carefully level. It was the truth, although she doubted that would make much difference.

The rats turned to look down at her. Jenny kept them both in sight with a baleful glare. The skinny one appeared to be about to speak when the larger one drew himself up haughtily. "I don't care to hear your lies, witch. The sacred chambers of Rodere II have been polluted by your presence."

 _So you woke me up to gloat_ , Jenny thought. She didn't try to reply immediately. Gloaters usually liked the sound of their own voice. It didn't take him long to continue.

"But the witches who sent you will never learn the secrets of Rodere II. You will be an example to my people that they need not fear Aldebaran. I will protect the citizens of this planet."

 _He's scared of me_ , Jenny realized. She didn't see any profit in pointing this out, so she tried reason again.

"I wasn't sent here by Aldebaran. _You_ _asked_ for our help," she said levelly.

"I never asked for the help of a witch," he spat back. "How did you find the sacred chambers?"

 _I just told you_ , she thought, _but you don't really want to listen_. _You've already decided not to believe me_. She tried anyway. "I tracked the toads to the site of the ship crash, but they spotted me." _I got in over my head because I was being reckless and foolish_. "When I ran from the toads, I found a passage to the underground ruins where the crash had torn off the side of a mountain." _That's what they wanted all along, they were never after the ship, they just used it as a battering ram to expose the ruins. But even then they lacked the skill to find the way in. What had Toadborg said? '. . . find another use for you.'? They needed a guide . . ._

Her meditations were interrupted by the angry rat. "You are undone by your lies. Those idiot toads are nowhere near the sacred site," he snarled.

 _He doesn't know how extensive the ruins are_ , she thought. She guessed that these rats had found some part of the ancient chambers, but they didn't really know what they had. The toads might know more, unfortunately.

She suddenly remembered the gem she had found. For a moment she thought the rats had taken it along with her armor, but when she shifted slightly she could feel its cool weight against her chest. It was oddly reassuring, although she didn't have a clue how to tap into the strange power she sensed from the crystal.

"I can show you the passage I took through the ruins," she said. _At least I hope I can, it's a maze down there_ , she thought. "If you are really concerned about discovery, you should be focusing on the toads. Hurting me is not going to . . ."

"Enough!" the rat barked. "You will not trick _me_ , witch. I thought to give you a chance to tell the truth, but your kind has always been arrogant and selfish. You'll learn that Rodere II will defend her own." He abruptly strode away from her then Jenny could hear him giving curt orders in a low growl. "Clear the platform. I'll 'ave this done." She felt a heady wave of nausea. She tried to tug at the chains again while starting to probe with her mind. The bonds held fast, but maybe if she dislocated her thumbs . . .

The other rat had silently watched the exchange between his companion and Jenny, and had remained in front of her when the larger rat walked away, he now suddenly looked alarmed and let out an exclamation, "Now?! Sir . . ."

He was interrupted. The reply sounded terse and dismissive, "Yes, now. Go find your fun somewhere else, Nic."

"'taint _that_. Sir, just consider, how's she gonna be han example if'in no one _sees_ ," Nic said with a wheedling voice.

 _Oh my stars, please let him buy that_ , Jenny thought, freezing in place. She didn't trust the skinny rat an inch, but he did seem to be trying to help her. She couldn't see the larger rat now, but she had a good view of Nic speaking to him. "Come on now, Boris, you always was too quick with these things. Let's make a proper spectacle. How often are you gonna have a witch to burn?"

"What are you suggesting, pirate?" came the gruff reply. _He's actually considering it_ , she thought.

"Get the lads to tweak the burner settings a bit, turn um down like. You said you wanted 'er to suffer. And make a proper example of 'er. Get an audience up 'ere to watch." He looked at the bright sky critically. "And wait a bit till tis dark." He sniffed, "Midnight'd be good."

 _Yes please_ , she thought. _Time, I need time_. The chains were heavy and complex; she was still mentally searching for the lock. She realized she was holding her breath and let it out carefully.

"You'll be the hero of Rodere II. Boris the Burner they'll call ya," Nic said with a wide grin. Jenny thought the ego stroking was a bit much, but he seemed to know his audience because there was a satisfied grunt from behind her and Boris replied with, "I seek only to protect my people." His voice became more muffled, presumably as he turned around to whoever else was there. "I have decided that we shall burn the witch tonight." _You won't,_ thought Jenny. "Post a double guard until then. No one is to approach her. They have mind tricks and bewitchments," Boris finished. _Idiot,_ thought Jenny.

She glanced up to Nic. He was still grinning, his golden tooth shinning. "I shall bring the marshmallows", he said, then gave her a quick wink and strode away. _And if you think I trust_ you _, you're more of an idiot than that Boris_ , she thought.


	8. Chapter 8

_My new aim is to upload a chapter (either this story or SP) at least once a month. We'll see how that goes . . ._

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

The corridor was bathed in a wan yellow glow from the artificial lighting. At least _that_ was a relief, although his arms still ached and his feet were sore. The suns outside might not be the harshly burning golden disks of some words, but he still found their light made him squint, and that gave him a headache. The respite was temporary, of course, they'd make him go outside again soon. He hated this world. It was dry and dusty and all full of rot and ruin. There was dust in his suit _again_ , he could feel the grittiness irritating his skin. He had very sensitive skin. Not that anyone would care if he told them about it. He _had_ told some of the other stormtoads, about the dust, and about how much he hated everything here, and they'd just said it was like that for everyone and to shut up because they couldn't hear the TV.

He hunched his shoulders in irritation at the memory, and the bundle of already awkward metal in his arms suddenly shifted. He teetered clumsily to the side, trying to hold the on to the cumbersome burden. He'd _told_ everyone it was too heavy, but they never listened to him. The metal bars slipped back the other way and he was suddenly forced into a second ungainly lunge. Another moment's struggle and he managed to right himself with a grunt of effort that ended in a yell of triumph. That had been pretty clever of him. Usually he dropped things, but not this time! "Did you see that!?" He glanced around eagerly, ready for the adulation of his fellows, but the corridor was empty.

He'd been at the end of the line of stormtoads trudging into the depths of the large ship. He was often at the end of marches, but that was just because everyone walked _so fast_. He was pretty sure they did it on purpose. He swayed around with his burden, peering about. They'd been sent out into the scrap piles with a list of _things_ to find. Mostly metal of particular lengths and thicknesses. And _no rust_. That had been a specific instruction. His armful of metal might have _a little_ rust, but what could you expect out here?

He turned completely around, and then did it again, looking for anyone. There was no one, and _of course_ he'd loose them right at the junction of three corridors. Nothing could ever be easy for _him_. He turned again. Now he wasn't even sure which way he'd come from. He hated this part of the ship, it was creepy, even if there was the blissfully cool moisture of the local climate control to enjoy against his parched skin. They did important stuff here that he was only vaguely aware of. Stormtoads like him only got ordered to come here on brief errands, and that suited him fine. He suddenly really didn't want to be left alone here, and he'd get in trouble if he was caught not following his current orders to fetch and carry. The corridor on his left looked kind'a promising, so he set off down it at an approximation of a quick march.

There'd been a lot of excitement earlier, what with mammals attacking them, or something like that anyway, he wasn't really sure. He'd been on pit duty, and then this job of finding stuff in the scrap. He straightened his shoulders proudly. The scrap gathering was an important task, that's what the officer had said. _Critical_ to the success of their mission here, he'd said. Everyone had their place in serving the Glorious Toad Empire, he'd said. It was certainly more interesting than digging, and _less_ interesting than being in the combat division, which also suited him just fine.

There was something up ahead, _finally_. The annoying metal in his arms made it difficult to see, but he craned around it. Other toads were walking quickly about a large, well lit room. He recognized their outfits as technician-scientists. Self-important bastards the lot of them. His mom had wanted him to be assigned to the technical division, but the exams were _so hard_. There were stormtoads here too, but none from his crew. He recognized their type as well; full combat division, they guys they'd send out to deal with the mammal scum. He could have been one of them if he'd wanted. Yeah.

He grinned up at one of the stormtoads that stood either side of the doorway into the room. The stormtoad glared back at him with an angry snarl and took a step forward. Oh no, this was going to be like that time at the bar, and he hadn't even _said_ anything . . .

"What're you doing here?" the larger toad snapped at him. The guy really was big, and dressed in a suit that didn't look like it would let in _any_ dust, and that blaster wasn't standard issue either. He broke out in a sudden cold sweat. What _was_ he doing here? He couldn't remember. He lifted the bundle in his arms hopelessly, screwing his eyes shut.

"He'll be from one of the teams sent out to get raw materials for the reconstruction engineers."

He opened his eyes again. A white-coated technician was looking at him like he was something the guy had found on the sole of one of his expensive looking shoes.

"The little idiot probably got lost," the technician said dismissively, then turned to the stormtoad. "Just take him over to bay two. The reconstruction has precedence."

He felt a sudden tightness around his throat, and looked up to see the big stormtoad gripping his collar. A moment later and he was being all but dragged back along the corridor. Skipping and kicking to try and keep up with the guy's long strides, and struggling to keep hold of his bundle of metal too. The burden in his arms suddenly felt like a lifeline, a justification for his presence.

They kept going back along the way he'd come. The stormtoad didn't say anything, just kept pulling him onwards. This _was_ pretty cool though. He didn't usually get to do this sort of thing. Chatting with scientists, marching with his combat brother here, bring in important materials for the 'reconstruction'; whatever that was. Yeah.

There was the thud made by something large, sounding like it came from back behind them. He was suddenly glad to be heading away from the room full of all the important looking toads.

A huge noise filled the bare corridor, echoing off the empty metal walls. It was a scream and a yell, not of pain or fear, but of anger; and promising pain and fear. It went through him like a cold knife cutting to the core. Every sense but hearing seeming to shut down. Fear. He thought he'd been afraid before; many, many times. But he hadn't, not like this. There wasn't even enough thought to conceptualize any other action than running away. There was something in his arms; he dropped it. There was something preventing him moving; he lunged violently until it gave way. Then his was running.

He hit the floor in a sudden daze. Some sort of order returning to his mind as panic receded. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but he _was_ sure that there was swearing somewhere behind him. Words his mom would have smacked him for knowing. A moment later and he was unceremoniously dragged to his feet by his torn collar. He tried to kick a little, but his legs didn't want to obey him. The big stormtoad glared at him as he dangled from his grip. In his other hand was the blaster, cocked and ready, and smoking slightly from a recent discharge. This close, he could see that the guy was sweating, and pale under his green, his mouth set in an even more angry grimace than before.

"Once that stun has worn off, you are gonna pick up all that bloody rubbish you just threw everywhere," he said, then let go.

His legs still didn't seem to work properly, but he managed to scrabble enough to get them under him in time not to fall over again as the grip on his collar was released. He struggled with being upright for a few moments then looked behind him. The stormtoad was now leaning against the wall of the corridor, gun pointed at the floor, his hand shaking slightly.

He looked away from the other toad and glanced tentatively around. The metal he had gathered was flung all about the corridor. He rubbed his legs; they felt like they might be able to move him around, and when he checked behind him again the big stormtoad had looked up to glare at him meaningfully. He shuffled hesitantly over to one rusty pipe and pulled it into his arms then headed for another.

The big stormtoad didn't move, but he muttered something under his breath. It sounded like "Bloody baboon . . ."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The sounds of footsteps had faded, leaving her apparently alone on the desolate roof top, although she could hear the quiet shifting of what were probably guards out of sight behind her.

Grey-brown clouds massed in the distance and the wind was hot and gritty. Her long hair was streaming in the breeze now. The wind was rising. The turbulent air kicked up a scattering of ashes from the grate on which she knelt, sending little flecks of black spiraling across the wide concrete then out past the edge of the tower. Jenny watched the ashes drift over the never ending scrap heaps.

The suns, behind their veil of bruise-colored cloud, looked still to be high in the polluted sky, but the days on Sludge were short. Darkness would come soon, and darkness would bring the rats back to watch her burn. At least that's what they thought. Jenny had other ideas.

She reached her mind out carefully to the chains that held her. Enchantment swirled, coils of magic stirring lazily under her urging thoughts. Without her gems, her powers were muted and unfocussed. She felt like a clumsy Sisterhood novice, struggling with the simple telekinetic manipulations. She bit down a wave of frustration and willed herself to concentrate. Her mind could feel the shape of the chains — thick links, unforgiving metal, heavy. Very heavy; ridiculously large for her relatively small frame. Heavy enough to keep Bruiser down, perhaps enough even for the toad cyborg whose pursuit had sent her running into this mess . . . She shivered, pulling her train of thought back to the present. _Concentrate, Jenny_. What the rats' behavior had already shown her, these chains confirmed. They were scared of her. If they didn't fully understand why, that only made them more aggressively frightened. Or at least it seemed to be that way with their leader, the cold, black one they called Boris.

Her etheric fumbling caused a sudden slip of the chains, metal links clinking loudly to her ears in the near silence. She tensed and paused for several moments, but when no one came to investigate she reached out uncertainly again, threads of force plucking at the bonds. Working a spell so ineptly with guards apparently so close made her nervous of discovery. The desire for concealment was deep for an Aldebaran Sister, beaten hard into the bone early, and she breathed a silent, plaintive wish for what she didn't have. Force thrummed under her attention and, as if in answer to her internal plea, the wind abruptly kicked up, causing the rooftop to darkened with swirling motes of dust. Behind her, there were exclamations and sharp grumbles from the guards, but all she could feel were small particles kissing her face almost gently, mixing with the soft swirling breath of her own magic. Sludge had famously inclement weather in addition to its pollution, but the dusty wind was more than she had dared hope for in way of camouflage. She didn't waste too much time in contemplations, turning her mind to the chains in earnest.

Working the lock still seemed to take an age, but she finally felt the clasp open and the chains slip their cold metallic clutch from her stiff limbs. As soon as she was free, she wanted to run immediately, but quelled the urge. She had been hearing the sounds of louder conversation, and caught enough words on the wind to realize the guards were being replaced. _Patience, Jenny_. _Patience_. It would be better to wait until there were fewer foes on the rooftop.

Then there were quick footsteps approaching. That changed things. Her chains were now undone and these new guards would check on her. But there only seemed to be one coming. Although they would undoubtable be armed, one guard was manageable, _if_ she could catch them off balance. One, and then she would have to take her chances as to how many others would come to their aid, and then somehow get herself through the rat base where there could be hundreds. _First things first_. She slumped forward, allowing her to head drop and hanging limply from the chains that she gripped. Her nerves jangled as she readied her body, using the Sisterhood-learned technique of pushing extra blood through to her cramping muscles.

"Sorry 'bout the wait, luv. Had ta delay a bit till the guards changed. Needed to get some'a me own people in," the rat called Nic said rapidly as he crouched down to come level with her, "You alright?"

 _That changed things again,_ she thought. Jenny lifted her head to regard the rat with a wary frown, blinking through her whipping hair. "Why are you helping me?" she asked, although she already had her suspicions.

"Maybe I likes saving damsels in distress. There are worse ways to spend han evenin' and 'tis nice weather fur it," he grinned. He still wore the red coat with its brassy-gold frogging; the brightly colored garment flicked in the strong breeze and made him stand out against the brown dust. A small energy blade abruptly appeared in his nimble, long fingered hands. "Now hold on, might take a fair while to get through them chains."

She stood up, the chains falling away. Nic was still crouched on the ground, blade in hand. He flicked his gaze quickly up and down her. "Bin busy I see," he mumbled, a faint hint of surprise under the mask of cocky amusement. There might have been a note of admiration too, but she didn't care to examine his tone more closely. It mattered little anyway.

Her back was wounded; she could feel the sharp river of pain across her shoulders. And now that she stood, the touch of the wind under her long hair told her that her suit had been torn away from shoulder and spine. The hurt wasn't crippling though. Likely the combat-cloth, sewn with its flexible in-built armor, had done its job and taken the brunt of whatever had struck her. Her body was undamaged enough to rely on, she decided.

She had kept hold of one end of a short stretch of the chains that had bound her. It was a linker section, but the metal was still large and heavy. It would make a crude but effective weapon if used correctly. She swung the chain slightly to get the balance of it. The rat crouched at her knees grinned his gold-toothed smile again and Jenny made a decision.

Nic stood up beside her. "That's a neat trick. Them chains is supposed to be our best. Don't suppose you'd tell me how you managed unlocking 'um?"

Jenny looked away to glance around the dusty platform, answering with a simple "No." She turned back to him. "Do you have my armor?" What she really wanted was the gems it held.

"Not 'ere," was the reply.

 _One piece would have done_ , she thought wistfully, _or at least my boots_. She was nimble enough without them, but the heels had been fitted with stabilization spells to keep her surefooted. Besides, her foot pads had grown soft and delicate. She sighed inwardly at her own lack of preparedness.

"Come on," she said, starting quickly towards where she could see figures through the dust. There was the glint of metal among them that promised weaponry. _Friend or foe_? She swung the chain again as she moved. It was a moment before she was joined by the lithe form of the rat.

"What's that, luv?" he said, jogging slightly to keep up. "Orders is my job. I'm the captain 'ere." He was still grinning.

Jenny didn't look over at him. If he was telling the truth about his allays, presumably at least their initial decent wouldn't be blocked. "You're not my captain," she said, watching the other rats as they came into view. There were four of them, one large, three small, and all armed. They stood with their backs to the wind, clustered around the entrance to a set of stairs that descended from the platform through a square hole bordered by heavy metal doors that were open against the ground. The rats were clearly expecting her and Nic. One small pretty white female with an energy whip and a hefty rifle was watching her with a glare in her large pink eyes.

"I could be if yur like," Nic said rapidly under his breath as he ducked passed Jenny and stepped around to face the party. The white rat swiftly tossed the rifle she held to him. He snatched it from the air with a brief "Thanks Ti," then glanced at Jenny and threw the rifle to her. She saw the glare from the small rat go up a notch in hostility as she dropped the chain and caught the gun. _Oh . . ._ , thought Jenny then looked at the blaster. Most Aldebaran Sisters wouldn't deign to use it, but she had learned to value such weaponry. It was an older model but she recognized the class from UAC Academy training. It had been crudely modified and also sported some chipped paint in bright colors. She briefly checked the energy levels, then turned the output to a narrow beam to give her more power over short range since they would likely be maneuvering inside, finally sighting down the barrel to get the feel of the piece.

Nic spoke as she lowered the gun. "Know how't handle it then, hun?" She wished he would stop grinning. "Yes," she said levelly.

"Good ta hear. We gots a little ways to go. If we're lucky we should gets to our ride without meetin' any o' Boris' lot, but you just be ready with the shooter there. She's a good ol' gun." He squinted briefly at the little white rat, "Ti, find us another shooter, there's a luv."

And then they were moving, heading quickly inside the tower. The rats bristled with weaponry and spoke little. Once among them, Nic's manner changed. He still grinned if she caught his eye, but he was much more the serious captain now, giving brief orders as they descended via a set of severe concrete stairs — although Jenny thought he strutted somewhat and he seemed to always be hovering close to her.

They had entered what she guessed to be the main body of the plant, made up of austere corridors with sickly lighting, when she looked up to see the rat who had taken point standing dead still some distance ahead at the junction of two corridors. He abruptly lifted a hand over the top of his head and held it there for a moment, the palm flat, and then jerked his thumb behind him. _I don't understand their signals_ , Jenny thought. The rats around her clearly did, they were moving swiftly but silently. She was about to try for a quick mind scan of the rats' surface thoughts when Nic abruptly appeared close beside her. He caught her questioning gaze and placed a long finger to his mouth. _Silence, I understand that._ Then his hand dropped to her waist and he pushed her firmly towards where a pillar protruded slightly proud of the wall. _Cover_ , she thought, as the rats rapidly distributed themselves either side of the corridor. It wasn't an ideal situation. There was little hope of concealment in the basic hallway and she didn't relish the thought of a firefight with such limited shelter or protection.

She kept the rifle ready and let Nic steer her to the shallow alcove. He pushed her behind the pillar but positioned himself further out in the corridor. She didn't bother protesting the misplaced gallantry.

As they remained waiting she craned forward, trying to glimpse what had caused the alarm. Nic was distractingly close beside and slightly behind her, and his hand was still resting on her waist. She ignored it until his thumb started to stroke her clumsily then she shifted her hips and his hand fell away. Jenny could see the little rat called Ti just across the corridor. She was staring fixedly forward like everyone else, but she hadn't missed Nic's gesture, judging by the thunderous expression on her sharp but pretty face.

Jenny's thoughts were abruptly diverted from the emotional politics around her as she heard the sounds of quick feet marching out of sight. A band of about a dozen rats suddenly appeared at the corridor's end. Jenny already had the rifle cocked when Nic stepped around, pushing the muzzle of her gun down as he moved into the open.

"Stow it, luvs," he said briefly to the crew around him, and then walked up to meet the male with a glossy coat and a look of surprise that led the band. The rest of the rats she had come with were also relaxing and stepping from their merger cover.

Nic and the other male were speaking in quick low voices. "Yur supposed to be with the ship," the captain was muttering. He didn't look too pleased.

The other rat held up his hands appeasingly and took a step back. "Now the ship ain't goin' nowhere, Captain. Thought we'd come see if you needed any help," he said in a nervous, placating manner. Nic's hard expression didn't change. "You made better time than I thought you would," the other rat continued.

Nic gave a brief grunt, "Turns out the witch does have a few tricks." She saw the other rat glance up to her for a moment then quickly look away as Nic addressed him curtly again. "Yur so keen to help, Ralph, then take point," he said, his tone and expression suggesting he was still displeased.

They met no one else in the parts of the plant that they walked hurriedly through with weapons held ready. Their small party continued through more grim, dusty corridors than she cared to remember, until one narrow passage lead them into a wide bay that itself opened onto a view of trash heaps, clouds and — of course — dust.

Jenny looked about her. A slight breeze blew around the nearly empty bay; a single ship resting in the golden light of late afternoon that slanted into the space. The ship might have once been a cargo runner, but it had received a hodgepodge of modifications that made it into a patchwork of parts. It didn't look to be a promising escape vehicle.

Nic was suddenly close beside her, playing tour guide. "She's a basic transporter we use as a bit o'er movin' base. She ain't that fast, and 'fraid she ain't no prettier on the inside, but bringin' in anything else would'a looked a might suspicious. I wanna keep this low key fur as long as possible. Taking you's gonna cause a world o' trouble." She glanced at him and he gave her a golden grin, his dark eyes shining, "Worth it, though," he said.

Inside, the ship was indeed as patchy as the outside had implied. They entered through the main body, into a hold that was littered with large boxes. Course colorful rugs were thrown over many of the boxes or across the floor, turning what had probably originally served as a cargo hold into something like a rough lounge. Along the nearly bare walls, she could see metal brackets at regular intervals that might have been used for securing cargo. Although they mostly hung empty now, a few still held chains. As with seemingly everywhere, the dust was thick here.

She was walking towards the cockpit on automatic when Nic gently caught her arm. "Stay back here, luv. Out o' sight like. Yur a might too easy to spot," he said briefly then strode away from her to give a few quick orders to his crew. Jenny frowned. She disliked being coddled, but he was probably right about staying hidden, and she still felt almost naked without her gems and armor. She stroked down her arm in discomfort as she watched the rats hurry about, hoping they had her gear onboard.

With no immediate prospect of assisting, Jenny looked around the bay until she spotted a symbol she recognized over a small wall panel, and then walked over and pulled free the basic healing kit. Her bare feet were hampering her; she could feel the sharp sting of a wound on her foot, and had seen herself leave a light trail of bloody prints across the dirty floor. Her injured back would have to wait until she had the leisure of assistance, but with the rats safely occupied, she flicked her fingers and sent a brief minor healing charm crackling across the wound, under cover of her hair. She could do little more to help herself without the stored energy her gems held.

She moved to sit on one of the boxes that dotted the bay, her back to a wall and the rats in view, then placed the gun and kit carefully beside her as she perched on the edge of the box. She swept her hair to the side then folded one leg onto her lap to inspect the pad.

She had the small cut cleaned, charmed, and was finishing a dressing when Nic swaggered up to her. She looked up, still with her leg across her lap, to see him with some material draped over his arm. He held the clothing out to her.

"Why aren't we leaving?" she asked him. She'd expected them to take off immediately, and the rats had certainly rushed to their stations as soon as they had boarded, but she'd felt no movement from the ship and now a few of those same rats were milling about the bay. Jenny could see the little white rat Ti yank open a wall panel then start to work on the weapons it held. _Non-urgent tasks_ , she thought, when her whole being screamed for urgency.

Nic leaned to her side, wordlessly placing his burden across the box next to her. She glanced over to see that it was a long coat with what looked like some lace and perhaps a belt. When she looked back, Nic was seated in an easy slouch across from her on another box. "Can't, not yet," he answered her. "Like Ralph said, we made better time than I planned fur. There are patrols out there who I probably won't be able to talk out of stopping and searching us. We'll leave soon as they're clear." He glanced at the clothing he had brought then rubbed the back of his neck and spoke without meeting her eyes. "Yur stuff's in me office. Can't get that yet either. We got a few things onboard thought yur might like to have." _What I would like is to leave_ , she thought, but held her tongue and reached over to inspect the offering, wincing as she placed her injured foot back on the ground. The clothing proved to be a long slightly battered coat of a rich brown hue with twisting golden inlay; inside was slipped a white shirt with frothy lace around the open chest and long sleeves. It wasn't really what she liked to wear but she pulled it on anyway. The loose lace around her hands irritated her as she fastened the matching belt that held a holster for the gun low around her hips.

Nic watched her pick up the clothing then called over his shoulder as she shrugged on the coat, "You gots lots'a boots, Ti. Go get sum, there's a luv." Jenny didn't dare look at the expression on the little rat's face. Ti made some brief acknowledgment then Jenny could hear her feet stomping as she left. Nic seemed utterly unconcerned by Ti, looking at Jenny with his usual grin. "You look a proper pirate in that outfit. Sure you won't join me crew?" The comment was light hearted but she didn't like his constant attentions. She met his grin with a frown. "I appreciate your help, but I belong to a crew."

A pair of long boots abruptly landed unceremoniously on the floor in front of Jenny, making her jump. She glanced up to see Ti glaring at her. "Thank you Ti," Jenny said carefully after a moment. "It's _Tia_ ," the rat snapped back before spinning around and striding away again. Jenny heard her leave the bay with the slam of a door. "Thanks Ti," Nic said absently. _Are you really that oblivious_? Jenny thought as she looked back to him.

Oblivious he might be, but he had risked a lot to help her, whatever his motives. Anxiety was making her discourteous. "Thank you for your help. It takes a lot to go against your own kind," she said.

The rat gave a brief snort of exaggerated distain. "Ol' Black Heart ain't my kind, hun. Not anymore." Nic looked around, suddenly captivated by the blank wall across the bay. "Boris always was a mean one, and he got that planet-sized chip on his shoulder 'bout witches. 'tis stupid and dangerous, blamin' you fur somethin' none of us was alive fur," he muttered.

 _Some of that you believe, some is bluster_ , she thought. "I know he was upset about me finding the ruins, but I never really understood what else he was blaming me for," she admitted as she reached for the boots. They were too small, but soft enough to manage. They hugged her calves tightly as she pulled them on.

Nic looked at her again. He leaned forward and waggled a long finger in her direction. "Didn't they teach you yur history, gorgeous? Aldebaran is the reason my kind 'ave bin space-wandering pirates fur generations. You lot destroyed our home world, the wonderful Rodere."

Jenny blinked at him with a puzzled frown. "This is Rodere . . ."

"This is Rodere _II_. Named fur the one we lost. Our chronicles tell how the evil Aldebaran's attacked us without provocation and destroyed our beloved home world."

Jenny paused for several moments, half-remembering childhood history lessons. "That's not how it's told on Aldebaran," she finally replied.

Nic leaned back again. "Bet it ain't," he said. "Pretty sure there's bin plenty o' exaggeration on both sides. That's how the telling of such tales seems to go." He gave another snort of amused contempt. "Some stuff's just plain silly; yur lot setting a planet-sized dragon-demon on us?"

Jenny looked at him with an uneasy frown. Although what she had been taught didn't match his story, she knew her people had played some part in the destruction of the rat's home world. "I know it's not much, but I'm sorry for what Aldebaran has done your people," she said.

Nic waved a hand. "Did you destroy the planet?" Jenny only shook her head. "Then you've naught to be sorry for," he said dismissively.

He pulled a small dagger from his belt then began to casually clean his claws. "I knows the rest o' the Aniverse don't think much o' this planet, and to own the truth I know 'taint much, but we've bin makin' sumthin' o' a home 'ere. I'll never see this place a jewel like Aldebaran, or rich like Genus, or a playground like Warren, but I likes to think that sum o' me kin might. The rats didn't make this planet into Sludge, I don't think anyone knows who wreaked the place, but my people are trying to fix what's so broke that nobody else seems to care. They've worked hard to stop the dumping and start the cleaning. I don't wanna see that all for naught." He lowered the knife and glanced up at her searchingly. "If ya wanna thank me proper, you'll keep mum on what's below the surface o' this planet. Boris was right 'bout some stuff; if'in someone like the UAC or yur cat friends learns 'bout that, they'll find an excuse to force us off 'ere. As long as Rodere II's just grimy ol' Sludge, no one'll care enough to bother with a bunch of ex-pirates claiming finders keepers, but if'in the big boys and girls think there's somthin' 'ere worth havin' we won't stand a chance."

Jenny could feel the cold weight of the eye-gem pressing guiltily against her chest as she looked at the serious face of the captain. After a moment she answered, "You have my word I won't tell the UAC or Aldebaran what I've seen."

The rat kept studying her face for a moment then finally gave a brief nod. "Thanks, luv. Yur a gem."

He abruptly spun the knife deftly around his fingers then sheathed it in a quick motion. He glanced up to Jenny with a grin, his golden tooth flashing. "'course if you _really_ wanna thank me you could give me a proper kiss."

Jenny kept her face stern, answering with a level "No." She swept a large section of hair to the side and started to braid it with quick fingers, tugging on the strands. The loose hair had been getting in her way and on her nerves.

"Sorry luv, I didn't mean no harm," Nic said in gentle tones. "'taint just yur pretty face what saved you, you know." _No_ , thought Jenny, still plaiting her hair with sharp motions, _you weren't looking at my face_. "I meant what I said 'bout protecting Rodere II," Nic continued. "If'in Boris hurt you we'd have the Aldebaran's and the UAC both on us."

Jenny wasn't so sure about her importance to either party, but she wasn't about to say that. She sought for a change in topic. "What do they call you apart from Nic?" she ventured. From what she had gathered, the rats seemed to have retained the custom from their pirate past of names connected to physical descriptions, or deeds, or places or origin, and she was curious about the captain. She knew she'd made a mistake as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Nic stood up, half turning away from her, his sudden discomfort obvious. "Nic's fine, hun." he muttered.

His eyes focused over her head. "What's up there, Ralph?" he said. Half a heartbeat later she saw Nic with a gun in his hand in a blur of motion then he jerked backwards as a shot hit him squarely before he could raise the weapon. She spun around to stand, but felt the force of shot strike her then she was falling, and then the darkness closed in.


End file.
